Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill will reportedly make his first NFL tonight vs. the Carolina Panthers.

Dick Stockton, the team's television play-by-play announcer, reported the decision during a Friday morning radio appearance.

Tannehill was expected to spend a season learning on the sidelines behind the Dolphins veteran quarterbacks, but when David Garrard was injured last week, the long-term development plan apparently changed. The rookie out of Texas A&M was impressive during his first NFL action against the Buccaneers, completing 14-of-21 pass attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown.

With his former college coach, Mike Sherman, at the helm of the Dolphins offense, Tannehill has progressed faster than the team imagined he would when he was selected with the 8th overall pick in the NFL draft.