Joe Philbin has remained reticent to name his starting quarterback for Week 4. So Ryan Tannehill did it for him.
Tannehill told reporters on Wednesday that he will be under center when the Miami Dolphins face the Oakland Raiders in London on Sunday. He made the statement minutes after Philbin declined to name his starter for the third straight day.
"(I'm) taking the first snap of the game and playing the game," Tannehill said.
Tannehill -- in the midst of a season-opening slump -- acknowledged "it's not a great feeling" to have his starting job put into debate by his coach. The third-year pro said the uncertainty has created a distraction in the Dolphins locker room.
Does he wish Philbin would have handled the situation differently?
"He has his reasons. Honestly, yes. Does it feel good to deal with all the distractions that have been created because of the situation? No, but that's life," Tannehill said. "You face distractions, you face adversity in life and you have to be able to handle it, you have to be able to fight through it and become a better man and become a better player because of it. So here we are and we're getting ready to play."
Philbin has created himself an unnecessary mess now. It's simply not a good look for the quarterback to tell the media he's the starter before the coach does. The coach has set himself up for even more criticism -- and perhaps placed his employment in jeopardy -- if the Dolphins continue to struggle.
On the latest Around The NFL Podcast, the heroes chat with two-time MVP Kurt Warner, debate the NFL's top throwing arms and preview Thursday night's game.
