After weeks of quarterback transactions, the Dolphins’ depth chart at the position is back to what it was at the start of the season.
The Miami Dolphins officially moved Tua Tagovailoa to the active roster from the injured reserve Saturday, the team announced.
It was an expected move after Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa cleared the final steps of the NFL’s concussion protocol making him the team’s starter Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. To make room for Tagovailoa, the Dolphins cut quarterback Tim Boyle, who was signed to the active roster last week as a backup to Tyler Huntley.
The move means that the Dolphins’ quarterback depth chart now looks like it did for the first two weeks of the season with Tagovailoa starting and Skylar Thompson serving as the team’s primary backup.
Additionally, the Dolphins elevated long snapper Matt Overton and defensive lineman Neil Farrell to the active roster for Sunday. Miami’s usual long snapper Blake Ferguson is on the non-football illness list and defensive lineman Zach Sieler suffered a fractured orbital in practice that will keep him out against the Arizona Cardinals.
Tua Tagovailoa says “it’s really tough to ask” a backup to step in and find immediate success in the Dolphins offense.
The Miami Dolphins won just one of their four games without Tua Tagovailoa, and averaged a dismal 10 points per game during the stretch.
Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley, and Tim Boyle all saw time under center, and found varying levels of success, but the Dolphins’ only touchdown pass since Week 2 was a 10-yard screen pass to Jonnu Smith on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
“Listen, I think it’s really tough to ask any of our quarterbacks to come in to do the footwork that we’ve been doing for the past two years,” Tagovailoa said Monday. “To see fast guys running and seeing the space that’s there and asking them to kind of process all of that.
“We looked at film, we were able to see what we missed and what we could’Sve got better with, but it’s a team sport. It shouldn’t take one position for this whole thing to crumble, everybody needs to be on their Ps and Qs as well.”
In September, not long after Tagovailoa landed on injured reserve due to the concussion he suffered in Week 2, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he’d “kind of get triggered” by comments that any passer could step into his system and find success.
“To say that anybody could, then we would have open tryouts and that would be very salary cap-friendly,” McDaniel said. “I think the way that Tua plays the position is very unique and that’s always triggered me that people have said anybody can. … From my vantage point, being in the offense for 20 years, that the statement that anybody can run it is false.”
Still, McDaniel said Monday that he stressed to his team that they can’t see Tagovailoa as the “savior” who will fix all of their offensive woes. There have been plenty of mistakes and miscues beyond just the issues at quarterback.
The trio of Huntley, Thompson, and Boyle combined to complete 60 percent of their passes in relief of Tagovailoa for 717 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The roster move clears a spot for the Dolphins to activate WR Odell Beckham Jr. or CB Cam Smith from the PUP list.
The Miami Dolphins released quarterback Tim Boyle from their roster Friday.
Boyle, 30, signed with the Dolphins practice squad in August after he was released by the Houston Texans at the end of training camp. After a few weeks with Miami, he was bumped up to the active roster following Tua Tagovailoa’s move to the injured reserve due to a concussion.
It didn’t take long for Boyle to be called into action, as Skylar Thompson suffered a ribs injury in his first start of the season. After taking over in the third quarter, Boyle completed seven of his 13 passes for 79 yards against the Seattle Seahawks.
With Tagovailoa and Thompson unavailable to start in Week 4, the Dolphins passed up Boyle to start Tyler Huntley instead. And despite Huntley’s struggles in a loss to the Titans, the Dolphins again named the newcomer their starter in Week 5.
Now it’s Thompson who will serve as the backup for Huntley on Sunday against the New England Patriots.
The reason for the move is likely to make room on the roster for one of the team’s PUP list members to get activated. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and cornerback Cam Smith are both listed as questionable for Sunday, but aren’t currently members of the active roster and don’t count against the team’s 53-man roster limit.
The Dolphins are turning to former Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley to lead the way, Mike McDaniel says.
Tyler Huntley will be the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback Monday night against the Tennessee Titans, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Saturday.
“We’re going to move forward with ‘Snoop’ [Huntley] starting and [Tim] Boyle backing him up on Monday,” McDaniel said. “One thing that was supremely obvious to the team since he got here and even more so this practice week is Snoop has started multiple and many big games.
“He’s done an impressive job assimilating into the locker room and understanding our language as his own, and the team is excited for him.”
Huntley, 26, joined the Dolphins last week after he was signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad. He was listed as a third emergency quarterback in Miami’s Week 3 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, because McDaniel deemed it too soon for the Huntley to be ready to operate the offense.
But with Skylar Thompson dealing with a rib injury, the Dolphins are turning to Huntley sooner rather than later.
On Friday, Huntley told reporters that he’s working to pick up the Miami offense, which is “like riding a bike.” He also said he and Dolphins coaches will work to “dumb down how many [plays] we like or don’t like” before Monday.
The Tennessee Titans take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 and here are three reasons for optimism in Miami Gardens.
The Tennessee Titans are preparing to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 action on Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The Titans (0-3) again failed to get into the win column, falling 30-14 to the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday.
The Dolphins (1-2) struggled against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 and their high-powered offense has not looked the same since losing Tua Tagovailoa in Week 2.
There is a lot on the line for both teams and this should be an interesting installment of Monday Night Football. Here are three reasons for optimism heading into this match-up.
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Dolphins quarterback situation
Who will be starting for the Dolphins this week? That is a great question and one that may not have an answer until kickoff. With Tua on injured reserve (IR) after suffering a concussion in Week 2, the Dolphins turned to back-up Skyler Thompson against the Seahawks.
Unfortunately, he left the game with a rib injury and was replaced by Tim Boyle. Though limited in practice on Thursday, there is no guarantee that he will be ready to go on Monday. If he can’t, will Boyle start or will they turn to recently signed Tyler Huntley to right their ship.
Head coach Mike McDaniel is playing his cards close to the vest. For the Titans, it should not matter who starts, their defense should have an advantage.
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
DeAndre Hopkins trending up
After missing most of training camp battling a knee injury, DeAndre Hopkins was much improved in Week 3. He recorded his best game of the season with six receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown against the Packers.
Now, after another week of practice, Hopkins appears ready to take the next step in his recovery and the season and it couldn’t come at a better time for the Titans. With the offense struggling, a healthy Hopkins could help open up the running game and take pressure off quarterback Will Levis and receivers Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Defense should rebound
After the Week 3 debacle against the Packers, the Titans defense will be looking for redemption against the Dolphins and should face a similar attack. With the Dolphins quarterback situation in flux, the unit should be able to bounce back if they can keep running back Devon Achane in check.
They will face a tough match-up on the outside with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle, but with shaky quarterback play, the Dolphins will try to establish a running game to help open the passing game.
The defense has a favorable match-up and they can be better than they were in Week 3. This will be a great game to get back into form.
A “competitive advantage” is one of the reasons Mike McDaniel doesn’t want to name his Week 4 starting QB just yet.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has an idea of how the team’s quarterback situation will develop over the next few days, but he’s not ready to name a starter against the Tennessee Titans quite yet.
“I have in my mind how I think it could play out; however, it’s a little premature for a multitude of reasons and the very last being the competitive advantage,” McDaniel told reporters Thursday afternoon.
With Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, the Dolphins turned to third-year backup Skylar Thompson to start in Week 3. After struggling to lead the Miami offense down the field, Thompson eventually exited in the third quarter with a rib injury.
McDaniel told reporters that the “pretty painful” injury could limit Thompson’s effectiveness Monday. The Dolphins also have former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley, who was signed last week, and Tim Boyle, who took over for Thompson late in the game in Week 3.
While the Dolphins may be inclined to wait as long as possible to announce their decision to keep the Titans guessing, it seems that Huntley is the favorite to take the reins in Week 4.
When asked about the 2022 Pro Bowler on Tuesday, McDaniel raved about the progress Huntley has made in a limited amount of time.
“I’m very, very encouraged,” McDaniel said. “I think we — Chris [Grier] and his staff in conjunction with the coaching staff — we targeted him for a reason. … He’s steadily working every day and I can see him gain the confidence of his teammates, as well.
“You can tell he’s cut from the right cloth and the game isn’t too big for him. So [I’m] very encouraged with his progression.”
Huntley, 26, has started nine games in his NFL career and has eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also started a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 and threw two touchdowns and one interception, but the Ravens lost, 24-17.
Mike McDaniel says there’s still “a lot of stuff on the table,” but he anticipates a quarterback decision being made pretty quickly.
The Miami Dolphins haven’t made a decision about which quarterback will start in Week 4, and head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t ruling out any plan, at this point.
Skylar Thompson, who started for the Dolphins in Week 3 suffered a rib injury in the 24-3 loss, and his availability for the upcoming Monday night matchup against the Tennessee Titans is up in the air.
“As Skylar progresses, I think that leaves variables more vague,” McDaniel said Tuesday. “I think we have an important 48 hours to kind of see where he’s at, and then also to get in front of the rest of the quarterback room, and talk with them, talk with coaches, talk with some of the players, to get them as most comfortable with the varied uncertainty.
“We’ll just have to take it a day at a time. There’s a lot of stuff on the table.”
Thompson completed 13 of his 19 passes for 107 yards in the loss and was sacked five times before exiting in the third quarter. He was replaced in the game by Tim Boyle, who completed seven of 13 passes for 79 yards.
The Dolphins also have Tyler Huntley on the active roster, who they signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad last week. With Huntley only a few days into his tenure with the Dolphins, he was listed as an inactive emergency third quarterback Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
“Fully knowing that it was going to be difficult this past week for a guy getting there on Tuesday to feel comfortable leading the offense,” McDaniel said. “At the end of the day, we just thought — quarterback affects a lot of players, down in and down out — that Tim [Boyle] was the better option [than Huntley] for that moment, on that day.”
But that decision doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be Boyle ahead of Huntley again when the Dolphins take on the Tennessee Titans. McDaniel said it’s a “possibility, for sure” that Huntley steps into the starting lineup.
Whatever decision Miami makes, don’t expect the team to take its time deliberating. McDaniel said the Dolphins are “probably going to have to make a decision before we’d like to” so that the starter has a chance to maximize their practice reps as they prepare for the opportunity.
With Tua Tagovailoa on IR and Skylar Thompson injured, the Dolphins need help at quarterback. Perhaps the Broncos could offer Zach Wilson?
After placing Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, the Miami Dolphins will not have their starting quarterback available for at least four games. The first game without Tagovailoa did not go well as Miami fell to the Seattle Seahawks 24-3, and fill-in QB Skylar Thompson suffered a ribs injury.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter listed three quarterbacks that he believes Miami should consider targeting in a trade.
“I’d call Denver,” Schefter said, “and I’d say, ‘What would you want for Zach Wilson?'”
.@AdamSchefter says there are three QBs that could make sense for Miami ✍️
Schefter also suggested Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Cleveland Browns) as potential trade candidates for the Dolphins. Schefter made it clear that he was not reporting that contact had been made, but merely that he thinks Miami should be making calls.
The Broncos opted to carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster this year: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Wilson. Denver’s brass has made it clear that the team views Wilson as a player who will start in the NFL again in the future, but he’s currently the third-string quarterback on the Broncos’ depth chart.
Denver acquired Wilson from the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick this spring. If Stidham is poised to remain as Nix’s backup this season, the Broncos should consider sending Wilson to Miami. If the team can get a higher pick than what it cost to acquire him, or if they can land a player from the Dolphins who could contribute right away, sending Wilson to Miami could be a smart move for Denver.
Skylar Thompson’s rib injury makes an already awful quarterback situation for the Dolphins even muddier.
In the Miami Dolphins’ 24-3 loss, quarterback Skylar Thompson, who was starting in the place of Tua Tagovailoa, suffered a rib injury that ended his day in the third quarter. After the game, coach Mike McDaniel called it a “pretty painful” issue and said that the team will have more answers about its severity Monday.
Regardless of what further tests show, it doesn’t look like the Dolphins can’t afford to have Thompson in the starting lineup any longer.
The third-year passer looked overwhelmed by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and struggled to get the Miami offense on track. After starting his day with a 22-yard pass to De’Von Achane, he didn’t record another 20-yard play all game. In fact, he only threw one pass more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage and it wasn’t even close to his intended receiver.
Thompson was eventually replaced in the game by Tim Boyle, who fared better with 79 yards on his 13 pass attempts. But are the Dolphins really going to start Boyle, a sixth-year passer with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his career? Tyreek Hill doesn’t sound opposed to the idea.
“I like Tim Boyle, man,” Hill said Sunday after the loss. “He came into the huddle with a certain swagger about himself. It was different. Every quarterback has a different demeanor about themselves. With Tim, there’s something about him. He came in, we got it going a little bit and it was special.”
So is Tyler Huntley the answer? The Dolphins signed him off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, but listed him as an emergency third quarterback Sunday as he’d only been on the roster for a few days leading up to the matchup.
While Huntley has a (dubious) Pro Bowl nod under his belt, he also has just eight career touchdown passes with seven interceptions in 20 games and nine starts.
Perhaps McDaniel could find a way to utilize Huntley’s mobility to jumpstart the Dolphins offense, but temporarily redesigning the Miami offense to accommodate his skills may be too much to ask.
There are other options on the free agency market and the Dolphins could hunt for a passer in a trade. But the team isn’t going to find much if its simply looking for a temporary band-aid to hold down the fort for a few more weeks until Tagovailoa returns.
And that leads us to the likeliest solution: the Dolphins probably won’t do much of anything.
Miami’s 2024 hopes are tied to Tagovailoa and their list of bad options at quarterback are the same options they’ll try to squeeze some wins from in the next few weeks.
While Thompson returned to action on the next drive, he went down on minimal contact from the Seahawks’ Derick Hall and exited the game. At the time of the injury, Thompson had 13 completions on 19 attempts for 107 yards. Dodson’s sack was the fifth of the game for the Seahawks.
Thompson made the third regular season start of his career Sunday after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills and landed on injured reserve. Thompson spent all of 2023 on Miami’s practice squad.
The next quarterback for the Dolphins is former New York Jets quarterback Tim Boyle, who was signed from the practice squad Saturday. Miami also has former Baltimore Ravens passer Tyler Huntley, but he is listed as an emergency third quarterback and is only eligible to play Sunday if Boyle is also injured.
