Dolphins taking a 'one step at a time' approach with Tua; Skylar Thompson named starter for Week 3

As the calls for Tua Tagovailoa to reconsider his professional football career grew louder over the weekend, the Miami Dolphins are carefully monitoring the injured quarterback's situation on a daily basis.

In practice, this means that the Dolphins are delaying their decision on whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. They have also signed Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad to serve as backup quarterback for Skylar Thompson.

During a press conference on Monday, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated that he and general manager Chris Grier do not yet have enough information to determine if Tagovailoa should be placed on IR, which would require him to sit out for at least four weeks.

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Following Tagovailoa's third documented concussion in the NFL (not including one in college and another suspected concussion in 2022), there have been calls for him to consider retiring. However, NFL Network reported on Sunday that Tagovailoa has no plans to retire and has already begun meeting with concussion specialists.

Unsurprisingly, McDaniel did not want to comment on this topic.

"I'll let Tua speak for himself and make decisions about his own career," McDaniel said. It is unclear when Tagovailoa will address the media next.

McDaniel was also asked if Tagovailoa is experiencing any symptoms.

"He's downstairs, smiling with his teammates and working closely with the medical staff," McDaniel said. "He's doing well today and feeling good. But I don't base my judgments on my interactions with him as much as the results of his medical examination."

Tagovailoa sustained the concussion during last Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills. He scrambled for a first down on a fourth-and-4 play in the red zone, but instead of sliding, he collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, resulting in his head making contact with Hamlin's arm.

Although Tagovailoa appeared to exhibit a fencing response, he was able to leave the field under his own power, unlike in a similar incident in 2022 where he had to be taken off the field in an ambulance.

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Thompson, the only other quarterback on the Dolphins' active roster, finished the game against the Bills. McDaniel confirmed that Thompson will be the starting quarterback for Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, with Huntley serving as his backup after being signed from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad.

"His game has improved since he had the opportunity to start in this league. His teammates can see his development and growth," McDaniel said of Thompson.

Thompson played in seven games, starting two, in 2022 and did not see any playing time in 2023. He has thrown for 614 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions with a 57.1 completion percentage in his brief NFL career.

Huntley, 26, has started at least one game in each of the past three seasons for the Ravens, filling in for Lamar Jackson. In 20 career games (nine starts) since 2020, Huntley has thrown for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, and has a 64.6 completion percentage.