It’s one thing when the starting quarterback gets hurt, but the Miami Dolphins are now in a doomsday scenario after backup Skylar Thompson suffered a rib injury in Week 3. Tua Tagovailoa is on injured reserve with yet another concussion, and at 1-2, Miami needs a quick boost before the season slips away.
Thompson was shut down by the Seattle Seahawks, completing 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards, leading nine drives that never lasted longer than five plays before getting knocked out. Third-stringer Tim Boyle was 7-for-13 for 79 yards in Thompson’s stead, but couldn’t get in the end zone as the Dolphins lost 24-3.
Miami head coach Mike McDaniel admitted that the starting job is up in the air against the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
“As Skylar progresses, I think that leaves variables more vague. I think we have an important 48 hours to see where he’s at and then get in front of the rest of the quarterbacks room,” McDaniel said. “I think you have to open up your mind to a plethora of different solutions, considering your current answers, as objectively as you can evaluate, haven’t been the right ones.”
The Dolphins signed former Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley on September 17th. Either he, Boyle, or Thompson could get the starting nod against the Titans.
Huntley may be the most talented of the trio, boasting a 79.0 passer rating with eight touchdowns and seven picks, along with 509 rushing yards and three scores on the ground in 20 games played. Thompson, however, has played in just seven games, and Boyle has just four career touchdowns against 12 picks.
With Tagovailoa’s well-documented head trauma being a cause for concern, Miami can’t bank on him coming back at full strength this season, and possibly ever. Who should the Dolphins look at around the league to come to fill in?
Russell Wilson
Wilson was expected to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season before a calf injury sidelined him. Justin Fields has been effective in relief, completing 73.3% of his passes for 518 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, as well as 28 carries for 90 rushing yards and another score. With the Steelers being 3-0, it’ll be tough for head coach Mike Tomlin to bench Fields if they keep winning games with him under center.
Both quarterbacks are on one-year deals, so this season serves as an audition for the future. With Fields being the younger option, Pittsburgh may deem him the more attractive long-term option.
Wilson, though, is still a viable option. The 35-year-old tossed 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight picks on a 66.4 completion percentage for the Denver Broncos last season. If Fields stays hot, it could make sense for the Dolphins and Steelers to work out a Wilson trade.
Wilson is an ideal option for Miami, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“I think I’d call Denver and I’d say, ‘What would you want for Zach Wilson?’ I would call Pittsburgh and I would say, ‘What would you want for Russell Wilson?’” Schefter said. “And I would call Cleveland and say, ‘What do you want for Dorian Thompson-Robinson?’ Because they have to save their season here. … Now, maybe Tyler Huntley can step in in relief here and stop the bleeding and get things back in order. … But to me, they have to look for another quarterback, too, and those would be the guys that I would be looking at if it were me.”
Due to Wilson’s track record, he could command at least a Day Two draft pick. However, with the Dolphins fully invested in competing this season and beyond, it would be a worthy price to pay for a nine-time Pro Bowler who still has juice left in the tank.
Joe Flacco
Flacco may be past his prime, but the reigning Comeback Player of the Year proved last season that he can still do damage. The 39-year-old led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs after Deshaun Watson went down, and he’s now backing up the talented, but inconsistent Anthony Richardson on the Indianapolis Colts. With Richardson being a 2023 first-round pick, Indianapolis is fully invested in molding him into a franchise quarterback. Trading Flacco would be gambling on Richardson’s health this season, but the Colts could ponder it for a sweet enough offer.
Jameis Winston
Winston is Watson’s newest backup, which may make him tough to land. The latter signal-caller hasn’t impressed through Cleveland’s first three games, but the team is unlikely to move off of him anytime soon due to his contract. Watson’s five-year, $230 million deal is fully guaranteed and runs through 2026.
Winston led the NFL in passing yards and interceptions in 2019, proving that he can sling the rock despite his turnover-prone tendencies. The Florida State alum could be a fun addition to an offense with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De’Von Achane, and Raheem Mostert. Still just 30 years old, Winston could also be a fine bridge option in case Tagovailoa medically retires.
