Ryan Tannehill will be available for the entirety of the Miami Dolphins' offseason program after missing the last three regular-season games and the postseason with a severe knee sprain.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported late last month that Tannehill's partially torn ACL is no longer an issue and full reconstructive surgery will not be necessary.
Tannehill weeks ago passed a battery of tests on his ACL and Grade 2 MCL sprain, The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero reported Thursday. He is not only fully healthy, per Salguero, but also no more susceptible to a future ACL tear in his left knee than if he'd undergone surgery.
How did Tannehill recover in such timely fashion? His treatment and rigorous rehab involved adult stem cell treatment, Salguero added. Rapoport reported last month that Tannehill was considering possibly undergoing Regenokine, a form of platelet-rich plasma therapy made famous by Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Essentially, it takes a patient's blood, spins it to separate the platelets, then is re-injected into the knee.
The successfully recovery means Tannehill will participate in the team's April conditioning program and organized team activities in May. The quarterback is expected to sport a knee brace throughout the 2017 season, though, and coach Adam Gase might opt to scale back his reps in offseason practices.
Barring an unexpected setback, Tannehill should be ready for his full workload by the start of training camp in late July.
