Ryan Tannehill will be the fourth scheduled rookie starter to play on opening weekend, according to the Miami Dolphins. He has been named the starter by Joe Philbin. That total could increase if Seattle pulls a surprise and goes with Russell Wilson before the end of the preseason, though that is an outside possibility at this point. It’s also actually larger than last year, when six quarterbacks were selected in the top 50. Gabbert and Ponder did not begin the season as the starter but moved into the lineup after a month.

Tannehill’s wife, Lauren, will now be featured prominently on your television sets from the outset. Expectations should be tempered early, as the supporting receiver cast leaves a little to be desired. Legedu Naanee is expected to be the top starter, and Davone Bess, hardly known for stretching the field, is on the other side. As I stated earlier, if Tannehill had not beaten out Matt Moore (who we can safely categorize as a journeyman) it would have been cause for concern.

[photo via US Presswire]