A Deadspin Investigation Into Ryan Tannehill's Thumbs

An intriguing tip arrived in our inbox this afternoon:

Hey guys,

I'm not sure whether this has already been scooped, but Ryan Tannehill's thumbs are shaped like toes. You might want to look into this. It could shed light on the REAL reason why Philbin "doesn't want to tip his hand".

Searching Google for various permutations of "Ryan Tannehill toe thumb" didn't yield any results, so it seems like this story is an exclusive Deadspin scoop.

The surprisingly helpful Urban Dictionary tells us that toe thumb is "slang for the medical condition brachydactyly type D, aka Clubbed Thumb Syndrome." Brachydactyly type D has also been called "murder's thumb" by fortune-tellers, and afflicts actress Megan Fox along with about 1 in every 1,000 people. It's an inherited genetic trait that is benign.

Now that we know what toe thumb is, does Ryan Tannehill have it?

That looks like a toe thumb, but we'll need a closer view.

Hmm, maybe our tipster is onto something. Let's get a picture of his left hand.

Can't really tell from this shot, we'll need the reverse angle.

That definitely looks like toe thumb, but could also be an optical illusion caused by Tannehill bending his thumb.

That looks conclusive, but let's make sure.

Yep. Ryan Tannehill seems to have brachydactyly type D.

All photos via Getty