NFL notes: Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill reinjures knee; MRI inconclusive

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill reinjured his left knee in practice Thursday when it buckled as he scrambled and fell without being hit.

Tannehill walked slowly off the field accompanied by trainers. He underwent an MRI, but results weren’t definitive regarding the extent of the injury, and further assessment was expected Friday.

“You see your quarterback go down, you think the worst,” tight end MarQueis Gray said. “He’s in all of our prayers, and we hope he’s back on the field.”

Tannehill missed last season’s final four games, including a playoff loss at Pittsburgh, after spraining two ligaments in the same knee. He decided against surgery and took part in all offseason drills.

He was wearing a brace when his knee gave out near the right sideline while running full speed to escape tackle Ndamukong Suh. Tannehill stayed on the ground at least 15 seconds surrounded by teammates before rising and leaving the field.

“I saw him buckle and go down. There was no contact on the play,” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. “The initial reaction is, `OK, next man up.’ That’s football. It’s going to happen somewhere in this season. The game doesn’t stop. You go on to the next play. And then, obviously, my personal thing is, `Boy, I sure hope it isn’t serious.“’

The injury occurred during the seventh practice of training camp.

Matt Moore, an 11th-year veteran, went 2-2 as a starter replacing Tannehill last year and remains the backup.

“There’s a reason we have Matt Moore here,” Christensen said. “We hope he never has to play, and if he does, he’ll be ready.”

The Dolphins were already without 1,000-yard rusher Jay Ajayi, sidelined since Monday by a concussion. Their top lineman, center Mike Pouncey, has seen extremely limited activity as he returns from hip surgery.

The Dolphins spent several weeks after last season assessing the extent of Tannehill’s ACL and MCL sprains before ruling out surgery, which could have jeopardized his availability for the start of this season. Tannehill rehabilitated the partially torn ligaments, underwent stem cell treatments and has been saying since May he felt 100 percent.

If Tannehill’s injury leaves the Dolphins in the market to sign another quarterback for depth, candidates include Colin Kaepernick, who parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers in March and remains unsigned. His decision last season to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality prompted national debate.

Goodell says there’s no blacklist for QB

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said teams aren’t blackballing Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem last year.

“No, teams make decisions [based] on what’s in the best interest of their team and they make those decisions individually,” Goodell said following his appearance at a forum with about 200 fans at the Denver Broncos’ indoor practice facility.

Kaepernick, who opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers on March 3, has drawn interest from Seattle and Baltimore but remains unemployed a year after throwing for 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games. Several teams have signed backups without giving Kaepernick a call.

Goodell demurred when asked if he thought Kaepernick should be in the league based strictly on his talent. “There are other people who make those evaluations and that’s a decision that those teams all make individually,” he said. “It’s not one that I would make as a commissioner.”

Cowboys win

With no stars and few starters on the field, the Dallas Cowboys edged the Arizona Cardinals 20-18 in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

At least the turf held up — unlike a year ago, when the game was canceled for safety reasons. The new field passed NFL operations directors’ approval, and the footing was steady.

Rookie Sam Irwin-Hill, unlikely to beat out Dallas veteran Dan Bailey for the placekicking job, made field goals of 23 and 43 yards, the latter providing the winning points in the fourth quarter.

Etc.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was held out of passing drills for the third straight day while battling soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder. ... The Rams waived fullback Zach Laskey and signed receivers C.J. Germany and Justin Thomas. ... Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver Corey Davis, the fifth overall pick in the draft out of Western Michigan, will have an MRI exam on his hamstring after being hurt catching a pass in a drill. ... The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a one-year contract with veteran safety Corey Graham. ... New York Jets rookie safety Jamal Adams sprained an ankle during practice and the severity of the injury was not immediately known — although it doesn’t appear serious. ... Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson returned to training camp after missing two workouts with a tooth abscess. ... Jacksonville Jaguars long-snapper Carson Tinker will miss the season after tearing a knee ligament.