DAVIE, Fla. _ Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a football for the first time in a team practice on Tuesday and was named starter for Sunday's game against the Colts.
Tannehill threw passes of approximately 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 yards to teammates after missing the last five games to nurse his troublesome right shoulder.
"He's ready to go. He's been waiting for this week for a while," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said of Tannehill on Tuesday. "Today was a good start for us with him practicing the whole practice."
Tannehill's throwing motion looked smooth and undisturbed as he threw a variety of inside and outside routes to receivers, while backups Brock Osweiler and David Fales again assumed their positions as the second and third quarterbacks on the roster.
But there was a point where Tannehill did point to his shoulder after a throw while speaking with a medical staff member during the portion of practice open to media.
The Dolphins hope a relatively healthy Tannehill can help kickstart an offense that has failed to score a touchdown in two straight games. Osweiler, who started in Tannehill's place for the last five games with a 2-3 record, has also failed to throw a touchdown in his last three starts.
The last time Tannehill threw during a Dolphins practice was Oct. 14, shortly after he injured the shoulder in Miami's road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.
Tannehill threw during practice with the intention of playing the next game, against the Chicago Bears, but he was shut down in practice to begin a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Tannehill's practice routine was a far cry from his last five weeks where he barely touched a football outside of working on handoffs with running backs. Tannehill took mental repetitions and did throwing motions without a football behind Osweiler and Fales in the quarterback order.
The Dolphins, with six games left, are tied with five other teams with a 5-5 record. They are currently ranked eighth in the AFC playoff picture, two spots shy of a wild-card berth.
The Dolphins hope to reach the playoffs for the second time in Gase's tenure, with their last appearance coming in 2016.
