The Dolphins will have a new QB under center on Monday night. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters (including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that Tyler Huntley will start at quarterback vs. the Titans.
[RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa Making Strides In Recovery]
Huntley’s promotion to QB1 seemed increasingly likely as Skylar Thompson was limited at practice all week with a rib injury. McDaniel acknowledged as much to reporters, noting that it was “supremely obvious” that Huntley “had what it takes” to guide the offense (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques).
Thompson got the first chance to fill in for Tua Tagovailoa, but the former seventh-round pick was knocked out of the team’s Week 3 loss with a rib injury. Tim Boyle ended up finishing that contest, but the veteran will revert to his standard backup role in Week 4 (per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe).
While Tagovailoa is showing positive signs in his recovery from yet another concussion, the starter doesn’t have a definitive return timeline. The team snagged Huntley off Baltimore’s practice squad following Tagovailoa’s Week 2 head injury, but with less than a week of practice time before Week 3, it seemed inevitable that Thompson would get the Week 3 nod. Following Thompson’s ugly performance last weekend, the Dolphins staff continued to give the third-year pro a vote of confidence (per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald), a sign that he could be inserted back into the starting lineup when he’s healthy.
For the time being, Huntley will have a chance to run with the job during Tagovailoa’s absence. The former UDFA spent the majority of his career in Baltimore serving as Lamar Jackson‘s backup. Huntley went 3-6 as a starter between the 2021 and 2023 campaigns. That included an infamous 2022 season where he earned a Pro Bowl nod despite starting only four games. In total, the 26-year-old has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’s also collected 509 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 115 attempts.
Huntley hit free agency this offseason and caught on with the Browns. Cleveland unsuccessfully shopped the backup before releasing him during final cuts. He was quickly added to the Ravens practice squad to serve as the third QB behind Jackson and Josh Johnson.