Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill limited by ankle injury

Ryan Tannehill has started in all of his 37 games with the Miami Dolphins – and gave no indication Wednesday that he won’t make it 38 straight Sunday in Chicago.

But the team’s Wednesday injury report gave reason for pause, however slight.

Tannehill is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of part of Wednesday’s practice. That’s according to the team’s first injury report of the week – which was released hours after Tannehill’s only media availability until Sunday. Tannehill gave no indication during the news conference that he was hurt.

The third-year quarterback has dealt with minor injuries in the past – he left a game against Jets his rookie year with a knee injury – but always returned and started the next week.

However, his latest issue was enough for the Dolphins to add a second quarterback to their practice squad. McLeod Bethel-Thompson joined Seth Lobato on the team’s developmental team. Matt Moore is the only quarterback other than Tannehill on the team’s 53-man roster.

Tannehill, incidentally, was asked Wednesday if he’d like to carry the ball more after having success in recent games.

His response: “Obviously, you want the running back to carry the ball the majority of the time. That’s kind of the purpose of the running back. I don’t want to be carrying the ball 20 times a game.”

MILLER LIMITED IN PRACTICE

The Dolphins envisioned Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller as a potent 1-2 punch on the ground – and for a short while they were.

But in the past week, the franchise has sustained a body blow or two of its own.

Moreno is out for the season with an ACL injury, and Miller is dealing with a knee issue too. He only practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

Miller, who is the clear-cut starter now that Moreno is done, doesn’t appear to be in significant danger of missing Sunday’s game in Chicago, but his issue does deserve monitoring.

Because behind him is an undrafted rookie (Damien Williams) and the player who got cut for an undrafted rookie back in August (Daniel Thomas, whom the Dolphins later brought back).

When asked if he was concerned about potentially being without his top two running backs Sunday, Philbin responded: “We’ve got to take everything one day at a time. We’ll see.”

Moreno, meanwhile, made his first public comments on Twitter Wednesday since injuring his knee: “Thank you to everyone for all the blessings and words of encouragement. I’ll be back soon better then ever. #GrindTime #KnoSleep”

WILSON STILL HOBBLING

▪ Jimmy Wilson sat out practice for a second straight day with a hamstring injury. If he can’t play Sunday, Jamar Taylor is the most likely candidate to see increased snaps.

▪ Other Dolphins limited in their participation Wednesday: T Branden Albert (elbow); TE Charles Clay (knee); LS John Denney (knee); CB Cortland Finnegan (neck); WR Brandon Gibson (hamstring); LB Koa Misi (ankle); C Samson Satele (hamstring); G Shelley Smith (knee); and LB Philip Wheeler (shoulder/thumb).

▪ Michael Ola, who spent part of the spring with the Dolphins before catching on with the Bears, is listed as Chicago’s backup at both guard positions.

When asked if Ola might have additional motivation Sunday, Philbin responded: “He’s certainly entitled to his own motivations for the game. He was a good teammate, he was a good individual. He worked hard every single day he was here. Our coaching staff treated him with respect every day he was here. And we wish him well.”

This story was originally published October 15, 2014 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill limited by ankle injury."