The Miami Dolphins are once again dealing with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Just a week after starter Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined due to a concussion, backup Skylar Thompson exited the game in the third quarter during Sunday’s 24-3 defeat against the Seattle Seahawks.
Thompson suffered a rib injury described as painful by head coach Mike McDaniel, raising further doubts about the Dolphins’ quarterback situation after just three weeks into the season. His last play involved a 5-yard pass to De’Von Achane with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter. However, he had taken a hard hit earlier in the game when Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson brought him down for one of five sacks he experienced during the matchup.
Thompson’s performance showed him completing 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards before he was replaced by Tim Boyle. “A lot of the pain and frustration for him was that he really wanted to stay in the game,” McDaniel noted. “He fought through it, but it became too much. We’ll evaluate him further tomorrow.”
Following Dodson’s hit, Thompson appeared slow to rise and was noticeably hunched over as he left the field. He briefly returned for the next series but remained down for several minutes after his completion to Achane. Eventually, he sat up and proceeded directly to the locker room.
This incident comes shortly after Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years during a loss to Buffalo and was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, ruling him out for at least four games.
McDaniel did not specify the Dolphins’ plans for the upcoming week if Thompson is unable to play in next Monday night’s home game against Tennessee. The team signed Tyler Huntley from the Ravens’ practice squad earlier this week, and he served as the third quarterback during Sunday’s game.
Despite the turbulent weeks under center, McDaniel expressed optimism regarding the overall offensive unit’s ability to rebound. “We need to find consistency within the core group,” he stated. “Those who truly understand the offense must step up, and we need to improve quickly. Every season has teams that manage to win games despite losing their starters or backups.”
In addition to the quarterback situation, the Dolphins faced further challenges as left tackle Terron Armstead suffered an eye injury and cornerback Kendall Fuller sustained a concussion in the first half. Fuller was ruled out early in the second half, while Armstead’s injury was announced late in the second quarter, leading to Kendall Lamm taking over in his absence.
On the Seahawks’ side, they encountered injuries to defensive linemen Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams during the first half, although coach Mike Macdonald did not provide any updates on their conditions.