Tua Tagovailoa Uncertain For Week 18
JANUARY 2: McDaniel’s latest update on Tagovailoa’s situation notes that Huntley remains on track to start (h/t ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques). Changes could take place over the coming days, but an increased practice participation on Tagovailoa’s part will likely be needed for him to suit up in Week 18.
DECEMBER 30: Although the Bengals kept their season alive by beating the Broncos in overtime Saturday, the Dolphins are ahead of the AFC North team in the wild-card pecking order. It will still take the Broncos losing to a Chiefs team prepared to sit starters in Week 18, but the Dolphins would advance if they won and Denver’s losing streak hit three.
Miami’s chances of winning in Week 18 do involve a Jets team that did not account itself well in Buffalo on Sunday, but the Dolphins are far from certain to have their quarterback available in their regular-season finale.
Tua Tagovailoa missed Week 17 with a hip injury, and although the Dolphins navigated a Browns team starting the potentially overmatched Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB, the AFC East club may have secured a playoff spot by now had Tagovailoa not landed on IR earlier this season. Mike McDaniel‘s club fared poorly while its starter missed time due to a concussion, and the hip injury he sustained recently is not healing as the team hoped.
McDaniel said Tagovailoa’s status is in a “gray area” for Week 18 and that he was not medically cleared to play in Cleveland, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. The Dolphins started Tyler Huntley against the Browns. After a 22-for-26 performance that included 225 yards and a touchdown, he may hear his number called once again.
Miami is now 2-4 in games Tagovailoa did not finish due to injury this season, falling toward the bottom of the league in offense during the starter’s initial absence. Huntley started both wins, with Skylar Thompson also at the controls in a Dolphins loss this season. The former multiyear Ravens backup, Huntley has enjoyed more time to get up to speed in McDaniel’s offense since Tua’s concussion-generated IR trip. But this is becoming all too familiar territory for the Dolphins, who are now committed long term to their southpaw starter.
Tagovailoa has missed five games this season, this coming after he missed six (counting a wild-card game) in 2022. The former No. 5 overall pick also missed time due to injury in 2020 and 2021, and his draft status was affected by the significant hip injury he suffered to close out his Alabama career. Tua played all 18 Dolphins games last season, helping him secure a four-year extension that came with $93.2MM guaranteed at signing and $167.2MM guaranteed in total. This season, however, has not brought the Dolphins much comfort on the availability front.
If the Broncos do slip up against a diminished version of the two-time defending champs, the prospect of Tagovailoa’s playoff ability would stand to come up. For now, the fifth-year passer has some time to recover. But the nature of this injury brings cause for concern given his past.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25
Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on injured reserve: S Elijah Molden (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from injured reserve: G Jacob Johanning
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster from Cowboys’ practice squad: OT Braeden Daniels
- Placed on injured reserve: OT Kendall Lamm
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on injured reserve: TE C.J. Uzomah
Seattle Seahawks
- 21-day practice window expired: S K’Von Wallace
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.
Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New England Patriots (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12)
- New York Jets (4-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
- Chicago Bears (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
- Houston Texans (9-7)
- Denver Broncos (9-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5)
- Washington Commanders (11-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
Dolphins Want To Re-Sign QB Tyler Huntley
The Dolphins entered Sunday’s action still alive in the AFC wild-card race, but a steep path to a playoff spot still remains. If Miami falls short of the postseason, the team’s play on offense (particularly in the games without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup) will be responsible to a significant extent. 
Under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have generally enjoyed success on offense when Tagovailoa is healthy (with exceptions against some of the league’s top defenses, to be fair) but their play on that side of the ball has notably regressed with other quarterbacks in place. That trend has largely continued in 2024, a year in which midseason signing Tyler Huntley has seen notable playing time. The Dania Beach native recently revealed he is on the Dolphins’ radar with respect to a contract for 2025.
“I got a good feeling I’m going to be home for a little bit,” Huntley said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “I’m going to be down here in Miami in a little bit. It’s all God’s plans, but I’ve got a good feeling I’ll be home for a little bit.”
Huntley added his agent has been informed of the Dolphins’ desire to work out a deal keeping him in place beyond the rest of the campaign. The former UDFA spent considerable time with the Ravens as their backup, although he also made a total of 10 regular and postseason starts during that time. Baltimore elected to keep Josh Johnson in place for the QB2 role this offseason, leaving Huntley to sign with the Browns. He wound up being cut, however, and shortly before the start of the season he returned to the Ravens via a practice squad deal.
Not long after Tagovailoa suffered his most recent concussion, Huntley was added to Miami’s active roster and he made three starts before going down with a shoulder injury of his own. Now back in the fold and in the starting lineup for today’s must-win game as Tagovailoa deals with a hip injury, the 26-year-old is in position to help his free agent stock down the stretch with a rebound from his initial time atop the Dolphins’ depth chart (during which he posted a touchdown-to-interception ratio of only 1:1 and a passer rating of just 73.9).
As Jackson adds, Miami is expected to bring in other options for the backup gig this offseason. Tagovailoa inked a massive extension this past summer, but his history of concussions makes quality insurance at the QB2 spot something of particular importance for the Dolphins. Former seventh-rounder Skylar Thompson joins Huntley as a pending free agent, and the possibility remains both could be playing elsewhere in 2025. For the latter, though, it would not come as a surprise if he were to receive an extended opportunity to earn the backup role.
Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Out For Week 17
DECEMBER 29: Tagovailoa is indeed among Miami’s inactives for Sunday’s game. Huntley will get the nod as the Dolphins look to keep their playoff hopes alive.
DECEMBER 28: The Dolphins have downgraded quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to doubtful for their Week 17 matchup with the Browns, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If he is unable to play, Tyler Huntley would make his fourth start of the season.
Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury in Week 15, but finished the game and played 100% of Miami’s offensive snaps in Week 16. The fifth-year quarterback wants to continue to play through the injury, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but his mobility and athleticism are limited. Tagovailoa had surgery on the same hip when he was in college, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, but his current injury is affecting a different area.
The 2020 first-round pick downplayed the injury during a press conference on Thursday (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques):”I mean it’s good. It’s just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league. You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year so just got to take care of that.”
Since Thursday, though, Tagovailoa has been trending down. Along with ruling him doubtful, the Dolphins elevated Skylar Thompson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, another indication that Tagovailoa is unlikely to play.
An absence this weekend would be Tagovailoa’s fifth this season after a four-week IR stint after his Week 2 concussion. Miami has to beat Cleveland to keep their playoff hopes alive; a loss would all but eliminate them from postseason contention.
The Dolphins also promoted wide receiver Erik Ezukanma to the active roster, placed cornerback Kendall Fuller on injured reserve, and elevated cornerback Nik Needham from the practice squad, per a team announcement.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Playing Through Torn Ligament In Wrist
While Tyreek Hill hasn’t missed any games this season due to a lingering wrist injury, he’s missed significant practice time. After dropping a couple of passes on Sunday, Hill attributed the struggles to his lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa (per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com).
However, it sounds like Hill may also be selling his injury short. As C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald writes, the wideout suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during the preseason. Dolphins WRs coach also recently revealed to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Hill has been dealing with an ankle issue.
When you consider the growing list of injuries and Miami’s inconsistent QB play during Tagovailoa’s absence, it makes sense why Hill has put up some of the worst numbers of his career. After finishing the 2023 campaign with a mind-numbing 112.4 yards per game, Hill has seen that number drop to only 55.6 yards in 2024. His 63.1 catch percentage also represents a career-low. Still, the wideout has been unwilling to use any of these factors as an excuse for his performance.
“I have a certain standard that I want to set for my family and that standard is to never quit, never back down no matter what you’re going through in life because adversity hits us all,” Hill told Smalls. “My mindset is like ‘suck it up, wait til the end of season and continue to battle with my brothers’ because you never know when it’s going to end.”
The five-time All-Pro agreed to a restructured deal this offseason which has a base value of $90MM over three years. The pact includes $65MM in practical guarantees, meaning his health should be of particular importance to the organization.
Hill isn’t the only Dolphins offensive weapon to play through an injury. Per Jackson, running back Raheem Mostert has been playing through a fractured sternum. After finishing last season with a league-leading 21 touchdowns, the veteran has taken a step back behind De’Von Achane in 2024.
Dolphins To Waive Shaq Barrett From Reserve/Retired List
Shaq Barrett‘s 2024 has been rather complicated. He has been involved in a few transactions despite not playing this season. After Barrett unretired, he did not factor into the Dolphins’ plans due an NFL deadline.
The Dolphins did not activate Barrett from the reserve/retired list by a late-November deadline that would have allowed him to play this season. Barrett informed the team he wished to come back, after initially retiring, but the Dolphins did not greenlight that opportunity. They are now waiving Barrett from their reserve/retired list, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: Dolphins Will Not Activate Bradley Chubb From PUP List]
Since we are well past the trade deadline, all vested veterans released hit waivers. Barrett can play in 2024 if he clears waivers, but Schefter adds his contract being claimed would keep him on the reserve/retired list for the rest of the season. A team could make a play to effectively block a rival from adding the veteran edge rusher, but Barrett has a path to free agency and a potential role soon.
The former NFL sack leader informed the Dolphins in November he wished to play this season, doing so after telling the team he was done just before training camp. Miami had signed Barrett in March, stepping in after the former Super Bowl starter became a Tampa Bay cap casualty. Barrett, 32, would have been on track to help the Dolphins fill their Bradley Chubb void. But his retirement changed those plans. Despite applying for reinstatement, Barrett did not end up being activated by the Dolphins in time to help them this season.
Barrett signed a one-year, $7MM deal with the Dolphins. The terms of that contract would make it a slight surprise if he is claimed. The Dolphins have effectively done right by Barrett, who retired after 10 NFL seasons in July. He could soon catch on with a contender that is attempting to make a Super Bowl push. A team like the Lions, who have dealt with numerous defensive injuries since Aidan Hutchinson went down, would come to mind as a possible suitor. They probably would not be the only team to consider the ex-Bucs starter if he clears waivers.
A rotational role would likely be Barrett’s best-case scenario if he hits free agency and signs with a team soon after. The regular season is coming to a close, and the former Broncos UDFA has not shown top form since an Achilles tear ended his 2022 season. Barrett came back from the injury last season but finished with just 4.5 sacks — his lowest full-season total during his Tampa Bay tenure — and nine QB hits. The Bucs designated him a post-June 1 cut soon after. That said, Barrett is now more than two years removed from that Achilles setback, potentially helping his sales pitch to teams.
Barrett played the lead role for a Bucs defense that dominated the high-scoring Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, keying a second-half onslaught. Tampa Bay then signed off on a four-year, $72MM deal to retain him. Barrett, who led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019 en route to a 2020 franchise tag, registered 10 sacks in 2021 and made the Pro Bowl. He will become a free agent if unclaimed by 3pm CT Friday.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.
The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.
Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- New England Patriots (3-12)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-11)
- New York Jets (4-11)
- Chicago Bears (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Miami Dolphins (7-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
- Houston Texans (9-6)
- Denver Broncos (9-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
- Washington Commanders (10-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
- Green Bay Packers (11-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
- Buffalo Bills (12-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/24/24
Tuesday’s taxi squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Darren Hall
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Rashaan Evans, DL Kyler Baugh
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Domenique Davis, LB Craig Young, QB Logan Woodside
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Andre Szmyt
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Maurice Alexander
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Deshaun Fenwick
- Placed on IR: RB Ellis Merriweather
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Neil Farrell
- Released: TE Hayden Rucci
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Ambry Thomas
New York Jets
- Signed: DE Kameron Cline
- Released: TE Neal Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Raekwon McMillan
Szmyt spent time on the Bears’ practice squad last year before playing with the USFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks recently. The 26-year-old terminated his pact with the spring league club to take a deal in Cleveland. A former All-American and Lou Graza winner as the country’s top kicker during his college career, Szmyt could see time late in the year given the Browns’ kicking struggles in 2024.
Thomas appeared to be on his way to join the Colts after he was claimed off waivers by Indianapolis. The veteran corner failed his physical upon arrival with his new team, however, leading to another trip to the waiver wire. No teams put in a claim this time around, but shortly after reaching free agency Thomas has landed a deal. The former 49er has 42 games and 11 starts to his name, and he will provide Minnesota with cornerback depth through the closing stages of the campaign.
Dolphins Will Not Activate Bradley Chubb
Bradley Chubb has spent the 2024 season rehabbing his ACL tear from late last year. Whether or not the veteran edge rusher would play down the stretch remained a question until today. 
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques) that Chubb will not be activated from the reserve/PUP list. The two-time Pro Bowler had his practice window opened on December 4, giving him three weeks to practice in preparation for a return to the lineup. That time will expire tomorrow, though, and McDaniel noted Chubb and the team agree he is not currently in a condition to perform at his usual level.
As a result, Miami’s push for a wild-card spot will continue without Chubb in the fold. The former Bronco posted 2.5 sacks with the Dolphins upon arriving via trade midway through the 2022 campaign. He signed a five-year, $110MM extension shortly after joining his new team, however, so expectations remained high moving forward. In 2023, Chubb was a key presence along the edge with 11 sacks and 33 pressures; that campaign came to an abrupt end with an ACL tear, though, the timing of which left his 2024 availably in doubt.
McDaniel noted Chubb (whose injury also included a torn meniscus and patellar tendon) has made considerable progress in his rehab, and his outlook for the coming offseason is much brighter than this past one. Still, not having the former first-rounder available for any portion of the season – or the playoffs, should they make it – will be significant for the Dolphins. That is especially true considering Jaelan Phillips‘ season-ending knee injury from earlier this year.
With neither member of that pairing available the rest of the way, Miami will continue to lean heavily on first-round rookie Chop Robinson to lead the team’s edge contingent. The Penn State product got off to a slow start at the beginning of the campaign, but he has emerged as a key pass-rush contributor lately. As Louis-Jacques notes, Robinson ranks third in the NFL in pressure rate since becoming a starter in Week 6. He has six sacks overall, and adding to that total will be key if the Dolphins are to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
Chubb remains on the books through 2027, but none of his salaries for the final three years of the pact are guaranteed. Considering his cap hits for each of those campaigns are scheduled to check in at over $29MM, it would come as no surprise if adjustments were to be made in the offseason. In any case, Chubb will not see the field again until the start of the 2025 campaign.