With one blow to Tua Tagovailoa’s head Thursday, the Miami Dolphins went from having the NFL‘s reigning passing champion under center to one of the league’s worst statistical active roster quarterbacks.
Skylar Thompson is on track to start Week 3 — and perhaps beyond — as Tagovailoa recovers from his fourth concussion in five years.
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Thompson finished Thursday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills having completed 57.1% of his passes — which is exactly his career mark in that category.
The Dolphins didn’t manage a single point after Thompson entered the game. That shouldn’t have been a surprise. They have scored just five touchdowns and kicked eight field goals in the 55 regular and postseason drives he’s started and finished since entering the league in 2022.
And yet, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel picked Thompson not only over his training camp competitor Mike White but any quarterback still on the open market, including former Dolphin Ryan Tannehill.
Why?
“We played with Skylar as a rookie with the season on the line and found a way to win an elimination game and go toe-to-toe with [the Bills] in a playoff game, and he’s a much better player than he was then,” McDaniel explained late Thursday. “Those are things that the team feels. I think guys really believe in Skylar. I have the utmost confidence in him. That’s why he’s our backup quarterback.”
McDaniel hadn’t changed his mind when he met with reporters again a few hours later.
“I think the way to best articulate where we’re at is the team and the organization are very confident in Skylar and see there was a reason he was our backup quarterback,” McDaniel said Friday. “That being said, we will bring in someone. We’re just evaluating the pros and cons for the different situations and getting through all those possibilities to do the best thing for the team, but as it stands today, I’m expecting that Skylar is the next man up.”
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In an ideal world, Tagovailoa starts feeling better immediately, has no long-term health concerns about resuming his career, and is back in time for the Dolphins’ Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 30.
That will have given him a full 18 days to recover and get clearance from doctors both inside the organization and out.
But don’t be surprised if the Dolphins give him at least another week to let everything settle down before putting him back on the field.
He had a 24-day gap between games following his first 2022 concussion, which seems like a more reasonable timeline to return in 2024.
If that’s the case, Thompson — who has zero games with a passer rating over 80 in which he’s thrown two or more passes — believes he’s ready.
“This is my third year,” he said. “I’ve gotten some really good experience, especially that first year. This entire time I have just kept working, trying to get better, just preparing for opportunities.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though. I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job. Not going to look too far ahead, but whatever is to come, I’m excited for, I’ll be ready for it. It will be fun.”