Three weeks into the season, the Miami Dolphins are not where they imagined they would be before the 2024 campaign began.
They are 1-2 after back-to-back losses to the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. They are coming off a Week 3 loss to Seattle in which they scored three points. They have dealt with injuries to quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and now backup Skylar Thompson, who left Sunday’s 24-3 loss with a rib injury.
As of Tuesday, the Dolphins are unclear as to who will be their starting quarterback in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the quarterback situation in His press conference on Tuesday and offered multiple scenarios he said the team will look at in preparation for the Titans. He described the situation as one of “varying uncertainty.”
If healthy, Thompson is the top option against Tennessee, but that’s unclear two days after his injury. McDaniel said the team will evaluate Thompson’s status over the next 48 hours.
“I would say Skylar is more everyday,” McDaniel said.
If Thompson can’t play, the Dolphins will be left with third-string quarterback Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley, whom the Dolphins signed last Monday from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad after Tagovailoa’s injury.
Boyle finished Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks after Thompson’s injury. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 79 yards (6.1 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns and no turnovers after Thompson’s injury early in the third quarter. He took one sack and the Dolphins didn’t score while he was in the game.
Thompson didn’t fare much better before his injury. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards with no touchdowns and no turnovers. He took five sacks for a 37-yard loss and held the Dolphins’ offense to just one field goal.
McDaniel said Tuesday he opted to play Boyle instead of Thompson on Sunday in part because Huntley was new to the team and the offense.
“This past week was going to be tough for a player to come in on Tuesday and feel comfortable leading the offense,” McDaniel said. “Tim was the best option for that moment, that day.”
McDaniel said it’s “a definite possibility” that Huntley will start against the Titans. That decision will depend on an evaluation of multiple variables, including Thompson’s health and the performance of Boyle and Huntley in practice.
“You’ll probably have to make a decision before you give players the opportunity to perform adequately,” McDaniel said.
If Huntley ultimately gets the job, the Dolphins will need to make adjustments to their offense.
“It’s a delicate balance that’s not an exact science,” McDaniel continued. “If we go in that direction, we would probably introduce a couple of things.”
As for Tagovailoa, there is no precise timetable for his return after he suffered another concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa has suffered multiple head injuries since joining the Dolphins, with the latest prompting renewed calls for him to consider retirement to protect his brain health.
Tagovailoa reportedly has no intention of retiring, but his return to the Dolphins’ lineup is not imminent. He is on injured reserve and will miss at least the Dolphins’ next three games.
“He’s meeting with neurologists this week,” McDaniel said of Tagovailoa. “The plan hasn’t changed and is being executed.”
