Fear now Ryan Tannehill will need season-ending surgery, sources say

— -- The Miami Dolphins now fear quarterback Ryan Tannehill is going to need season-ending knee surgery, however no decision to have it has been made at this time, according to sources close to the situation.?

As second and third opinions await, Tannehill still could decide to rest it for six to eight weeks and try to come back from his knee injury again, sources said.

But the Dolphins are growing increasingly concerned that surgery will be the most viable and likely option as they and their starting quarterback sift through them.

"He's done, I think," one source predicted Thursday night, referring to Tannehill's hopes of returning this season.

But nothing is final and options still are on the table.

Tannehill must decide whether he wants to wait at least six weeks to let it heal and take another shot at playing, or go ahead and have the surgery, which would end his season.

The Dolphins recognize they might have to step in and recommend the surgery that Tannehill has avoided since he initially injured the knee last December against Arizona.

One source said Thursday that, because Tannehill did not repair his partially torn ACL during the offseason, his knee was "a ticking time bomb that was going to go off at any time."

It happened Thursday, on a non-contact play, when Tannehill crumbled to the ground while scrambling.

Tannehill underwent an MRI and now the Dolphins know they will be without Tannehill for at least a significant amount of time, and quite possibly the season.