Dolphins Unlikely To Consider QB Trade
Despite a worsening injury crisis under center, the Dolphins are not expected to trade for an available QB, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Tua Tagovailoa landed on injured reserve after his Week 2 concussion, only for his replacement, Skylar Thompson, to exit with a chest injury in Week 3. The Dolphins also have Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle on the roster, but Graziano adds the team likely prefers to start Thompson. Huntley arrived in Miami just last week, and Boyle only completed seven of 13 passing attempts for 79 yards in his relief appearance on Sunday.
The Dolphins’ Week 3, undecided at this juncture, starting QB likely comes down to practice availability. If Thompson is healthy enough to practice, Mike McDaniel could stick with the more familiar signal-caller and give Huntley an additional week to learn the offense. If Thompson cannot practice, though, Huntley will be able to take even more reps to pick up McDaniel’s system, or at least a simplified version of it.
Miami’s focus on a short-term fix at quarterback stems from the belief that Tagovailoa intends to return to the field this season. He is still consulting neurologists to determine the best path forward after hits third concussion in as many years, with an earliest possible return date of Week 8. Making a splash move for another QB – whether it be a veteran like Russell Wilson or young reclamation project like Bryce Young – could complicate Tagovailoa’s recovery and return and impact the relationship between the Dolphins and their franchise quarterback.
Instead, the Dolphins are more likely to stick with stopgap options under center. Even if Thompson is healthy enough to start in Week 4, he will have to show improvements to keep the job. Another lackluster performance could give Huntley — Lamar Jackson‘s top backup for three seasons — and opening to earn a few starts of his own once he’s fully up to speed in Miami.
Either way, the starting gig will go back to Tagovailoa if he is cleared to play again this season. But if additional tests and evaluations reveal a long-term problem, the Dolphins will need to consider a more concrete answer at quarterback — potentially through trade if their short-term replacements cannot produce.
Dolphins Unsure Of Week 4 Starting QB
Skylar Thompson started the Dolphins’ Week 3 loss, the first contest following Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion. Thompson had to exit the game due to a rib injury, however, and his status is now in the air. 
“I think we have an important 48 hours to see where [Thompson’s] at,” head coach Mike McDaniel said when speaking to the media on Tuesday (via NFL.com). “We’ll just have to take it a day at a time. There’s a lot on the table.”
Indeed, Thompson’s health situation will be closely monitored in the immediate future. The former seventh-rounder beat out Mike White for the backup gig the offseason; that set him up to take over from Tagovailoa, who is on injured reserve and does not have a return timeline at this point. Thompson completed 13 of 19 passes on Sunday, but he was sacked five times and did not lead any touchdown drives during the 24-3 loss against the Seahawks. He will likely remain atop the depth chart if healthy, but it remains to be seen if that will be the case for Week 4.
If Thompson is unable to play, Tim Boyle (who was a gameday elevation from the practice squad for Week 3 and took over from Thompson on Sunday) would be an option to get the start. The other route available to Miami would be giving Tyler Huntley the nod. Huntley was signed off the Ravens’ practice squad in the wake of the Tagovailoa injury, a move he hoped would come to pass. The 26-year-old has not had a long period to acclimate to the Dolphins’ offense, but McDaniel added (via Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports) starting Huntley is a possibility at this point.
The 1-2 Dolphins will play the 0-3 Titans in Week 4, a game both teams will need to win to rebound from poor starts to the campaign. In Tennessee’s case, the quarterback position is not a question mark with Will Levis recently receiving a vote of confidence. For Miami, though, the situation under center is yet to be determined.
Former Dolphins Super Bowl-Winning RB Mercury Morris Dies At 77
Known for his role on the Dolphins’ perfect 1972 season and being one of that storied team’s lead ambassadors, Mercury Morris died Saturday night. Morris’ son announced his passing Sunday morning.
Born Eugene Morris, the shifty ball-carrier played a lead role for an NFL dynasty. He stepped in as the Dolphins’ lead halfback in a backfield that featured Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka. While Csonka was the engine for those Miami offenses, he and Morris formed a lethal tandem that powered the Dolphins during a run-heavy NFL era.
The Dolphins ventured to three straight Super Bowls from 1971-73. Although Jim Kiick operated as Csonka’s primary complement during the 1971 season, Morris — a 1969 third-round pick out of West Texas A&M — stepped in as Miami’s top HB during the ’72 slate. In addition to that 17-0 Dolphins season being among the most celebrated in American sports history, Morris teamed with Csonka to become the NFL’s first 1,000-1,000 backfield. The former landed on exactly 1,000 rushing yards in that 14-game campaign, with Csonka finishing with 1,117 to help a Dolphins team that played without starting quarterback Bob Griese for much of that perfect season.
After eclipsing 70 rushing yards in Miami’s two wins during the AFC playoffs, Morris led the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns for a 1973 Dolphins team that went 12-2 and beat superior regular-season competition (Oakland, Pittsburgh, Dallas) compared to its unbeaten predecessor. Morris averaged a career-best 6.4 yards per carry that season and joined Csonka in helping Miami win Super Bowl VIII while attempting just seven passes in a one-sided win over the Vikings.
Miami’s 1974 team played without Morris for all but five games, and the veteran back did not suit up for the team’s loss to the Raiders in a divisional-round classic. Morris, who also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns during his first three NFL seasons, earned three Pro Bowl selections. He played seven seasons with the Dolphins, continuing after Csonka and Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield left for the short-lived World Football League in 1975, but saw his career impacted by a knee injury sustained during the 1974 preseason.
Morris, who finished his career with the Chargers in 1976, accumulated 4,133 career rushing yards in eight seasons. Among running backs, Morris’ 5.1 career yards-per-carry average trails only Marion Motley (5.7), Jamaal Charles (5.4), Nick Chubb (5.3) and Jim Brown (5.2). Among RBs to play past the 1970 merger, Morris ranks third in YPC.
Sentenced to 20 years in prison for cocaine trafficking in 1982, Morris served 3 1/2 years after the Florida Supreme Court overturned his conviction. The Pittsburgh native would regularly tout the Dolphins’ perfect season, which annually involves the surviving team members toasting after the NFL’s final unbeaten goes down.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, T Charlie Heck
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier, CB Ka’dar Hollman
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, WR Collin Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: RB Gary Brightwell, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DE Carl Lawson, LB Nick Vigil
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Tim Patrick, WR Allen Robinson
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: QB Sean Clifford, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor, LB Zeke Turner
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic, WR Xavier Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Elevated: WR Dee Eskridge, WR Erik Ezukanma
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Stalbird
New York Giants
- Elevated: CB Art Green, LB Ty Summers
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, TE Jack Stoll
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Mike Greene, WR Sterling Shepard
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, RB Jabari Small
Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.
Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.
The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.
With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.
QB Tyler Huntley Addresses Dolphins Deal
Tua Tagovailoa is on injured reserve in the wake of his latest concussion. A multi-week absence (at a minimum) is in store as a result, and the Dolphins added quarterback depth in the form of Tyler Huntley. 
Skylar Thompson will serve as Miami’s starter moving forward, but the team opted to add Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad on Monday. That move came in lieu of promoting Tim Boyle from the Dolphins’ own taxi squad. Huntley is now the team’s QB2, a role he envisioned for himself shortly after Tagovailoa’s injury.
“I was thinking about it a lot,” the Dania, Florida native said when speaking to the media upon arrival with the Dolphins (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I was really thinking about it coming out of the draft and I was hoping Miami would have come and got me. But, you know, God’s plan and we’re here now.”
Huntley went undrafted despite a strong finish to his college career. The Utah product led the country in passer rating and completion percentage in 2019, and his dual-threat skillset made him a target of the Ravens. Upon signing with Baltimore, Huntley spent time as Lamar Jackson‘s backup for several years. He made 22 total regular and postseason appearances, a figure which includes 10 starts. One of those was during the wild-card round of the 2022 playoffs, but with Jackson healthy last year his only full contest came during a meaningless Week 18 game.
The 26-year-old signed with the Browns in free agency, but Cleveland also brought in Jameis Winston as a Joe Flacco backup replacement. The team elected to keep Winston and Dorian Thompson–Robinson in place behind Deshaun Watson, leading Huntley to return to the Ravens. Baltimore has Jackson and Josh Johnson on the active roster, though, so the Dolphins offer a better path to playing time at least while Tagovailoa is sidelined.
Thompson’s performances over the coming weeks will be critical as the Dolphins look to remain competitive without Tagovailoa. Huntely may play a role in that effort, but even if not he is now with the team he originally hoped to join upon entering the NFL.
Dolphins To Place Tua Tagovailoa On IR
Tua Tagovailoa is not planning to reconsider retirement, but the Dolphins are planning to give their starting quarterback plenty of time to recover from the latest concussion he sustained.
Miami is placing Tagovailoa on IR, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. With Miami’s bye occurring during this window, the earliest the fifth-year QB can return will be Week 8. This is not especially surprising, but it does represent a change from how the Dolphins handled their quarterback during his concussion-marred 2022 season.
[RELATED: Tagovailoa To Visit Neurologists, Not Planning To Retire]
The Dolphins did not use IR during Tagovailoa’s concerning ’22 slate, which featured two confirmed concussions and most likely three head injuries. Tua rehabbed on Miami’s active roster that year, though the team did shut him down after his Week 16 injury. The player who spent most of the time replacing Tagovailoa at QB that season — former seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson — is now in position to start for the Dolphins. The team, though, did bring in Tyler Huntley this week.
This plan certainly changes the equation for the Dolphins, who had seen Tagovailoa submit a quality 2023 season — a 17-game campaign devoid of concussion recurrences — and earn a four-year, $212.4MM extension this offseason. Tagovailoa received $93.2MM guaranteed at signing and is protected in the event he is not cleared from his latest head injury. Tua will need to return to action, however, if cleared in order to collect the bulk of the money from his lucrative extension.
A collision with Bills safety Damar Hamlin brought instant concerns from Dolphins and Bills players, and Miami confirmed its fifth-year starter sustained a concussion soon after. This sequence came just less than two years after the handling of a potential Tua concussion — one the team did not end up confirming, leading to an immediate return in a Week 3 win over the Bills — changed the NFL’s protocol. Players regularly return from concussions soon after the injuries, even with the enhanced protocols, but the Dolphins have their passer’s past and future to consider. This is a significant step, as it will undoubtedly have a major impact on the team’s 2024 season.
Tagovailoa has not been on IR since 2021, when a rib injury led him out of the mix. He did miss five regular-season games and the team’s wild-card tilt in 2022. (Tua also suffered a concussion at Alabama.) In addition to the initial review of the Dolphins’ handling of Tua’s injury against the Bills in September 2022, the team was the subject of another probe due to leaving Tagovailoa in a Packers matchup in which he sustained another concussion. Tua did not report symptoms until the following day, and the second investigation soon cleared the Dolphins. But they are back in familiar territory nearly two years later.
Thompson, 27, saw action in 2022 due to Teddy Bridgewater suffering multiple injuries — including a concussion — as well. He completed just 57.1% of his regular-season passes — at a mere 5.1 yards per attempt — but gave the favored Bills a scare in the wild-card round. Thompson beat out 2023 Tua backup Mike White this summer and will be given the first chance to lead an explosive Dolphins offense.
Huntley has far more experience, starting nine games in place of Lamar Jackson from 2021-23. Huntley, however, did not draw extensive free agency interest. The Browns ended up cutting the four-year Ravens backup, who made his way back to Baltimore — on a practice squad deal — before the season. Because the Dolphins signed Huntley off the Ravens’ P-squad, he must remain on Miami’s active roster for at least three weeks. This could set up a QB competition, but for now, it will be Thompson at the controls.
Big picture-wise, the Dolphins’ immediate QB plans are not especially important. The team has Tagovailoa signed through 2028, and his recovery will be monitored closely. The left-hander’s eventual reinsertion into Miami’s starting lineup will prompt natural outside concerns about his future, and Tua did consider retirement following that 2022 season. But he secured a big-ticket extension after staying healthy in 2023. The Dolphins are planning to have their starter back at some point, and it will be interesting to see when he is cleared from this latest concerning injury.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/17/24
Tuesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: S Jason Taylor II
- Released: G Marquis Hayes
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Josh Woods
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Russ Yeast
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: WR Shedrick Jackson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Jaelon Darden, RB Royce Freeman
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OLB Andrew Farmer
Houston Texans
- Signed: C Scott Quessenberry, TE Irv Smith, DT Tommy Togiai
- Released: T Braeden Daniels, LB Max Tooley
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Peyton Hendershot
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: K Tanner Brown
- Released: T Ty Nsekhe
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: T Jackson Carman
- Released: WR Robbie Chosen
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Marcellus Johnson
- Released: T Ricky Lee
New England Patriots
- Released: WR Jalen Reagor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Caden Sterns
- Released: TE Kevin Foelsch
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB D’Shawn Jamison, WR Jaray Jenkins, CB James Pierre
- Released: WR Shaquan Davis, CB Zyon Gilbert
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Kevon Seymour
Woods joins the Falcons’ practice squad after a workout last week that also included veterans Kwon Alexander and Rashaan Evans.
The Browns are adding Freeman after the seven-year veteran was released by the Cowboys before the regular season. Freeman could potentially pitch in as the team keeps working without Nick Chubb.
Yeast becomes the next former-Rams defensive back to join the Panthers. Current Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero used to serve as the secondary coach in Los Angeles, and Yeast joins Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, and Troy Hill as former students of Evero to sign a deal with the Panthers.
Chosen’s time off the Dolphins’ practice squad could be a short one. Chosen was called up as a standard gameday elevation twice in the first two weeks of the season, reaching his limit for the year. If the team re-signs him to a new practice squad contract, his count should start over.
Reagor saw 11 games and a start last year for New England, catching seven passes for 138 yards as a deep threat. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Patriots will be giving him similar opportunities this year after this release.
Pierre played a big part in the Steelers’ secondary in 2021 and 2022, starting six games and logging an interception in each season. His role was extremely reduced last year with the arrivals of Joey Porter Jr.. and Patrick Peterson, but his experience could be crucial in a position room that only rosters five cornerbacks as Cameron Sutton remains on suspension.
Dolphins To Sign QB Tyler Huntley Off Ravens’ Practice Squad
In need of a quarterback addition, the Dolphins have found a passer capable of stepping into the backup role. Miami is set to sign Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss, and given his history of head injuries a long absence would not come as a surprise. In the wake of that development, head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the team would be in the market for a signal-caller. Huntley – who spent the offseason with Cleveland before returning to Baltimore – will serve as Miami’s backup while Skylar Thompson handles starting duties.
Thompson started the final two games of the 2022 regular season as well as Miami’s wild-card loss that season while filling in for Tagovailoa. The former seventh-rounder did not see any game action last year, but he managed to win the backup competition over Mike White during the 2024 offseason. Thompson is thus positioned to lead the team’s offense for the foreseeable future, but the Dolphins have elected against promoting Tim Boyle from the practice squad for the QB2 spot.
Instead, Huntley will be brought in from outside the organization. The former UDFA spent much of his Ravens tenure as Lamar Jackson‘s backup, and he totaled 10 regular and postseason starts when Jackson missed time over the past three years. Huntley, 26, has amassed 509 rushing yards in his career (along with another 86 in the playoffs) while operating as a dual-threat quarterback. His passing totals – eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, 5.7 yards per attempt – leave plenty of room for improvement, though.
Baltimore chose to keep Josh Johnson in second on the quarterback depth chart this spring, which paved the way for Huntley’s departure. The Utah alum took a league-minimum pact with the Browns as they sorted out their depth options without Joe Flacco in place as QB2. To no surprise, veteran Jameis Winston earned the backup gig, and Cleveland also has Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fold. That allowed Huntley to released as part of the team’s final roster cuts, something which was quickly followed up by his Ravens reunion.
That has proven to be short lived, as Huntley will now turn his attention to learning Miami’s offense. The progress Tagovailoa makes over the coming weeks will be a central storyline for the Dolphins, as will Thompson’s performances under center. The team will have a new backup option moving forward, though. For Baltimore, meanwhile, Huntley’s departure will leave the team with sixth-round rookie Devin Leary as the lone signal-caller on the taxi squad.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa To Meet With Neurologists, Does Not Plan To Retire
As he deals with his fourth diagnosed concussion in the last five years (counting his final collegiate season), Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to meet with neurologists within the next couple of days, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 2023 Pro Bowler is naturally trying to collect as much information as possible before deciding on his playing future, but as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports, Tagovailoa has no plans to retire (video link).
Of course, Tagovailoa will go through the league’s concussion protocol, a process that was modified as a result of his previous head injuries in 2022. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, the protocol will be the same for Tagovailoa as it is for all other players, although the southpaw passer is one of just a few players – and the only quarterback – who has entered the protocol three separate times in the last five years (Jones also notes that, at the time of his latest injury, Tagovailoa was wearing the helmet that the league and union agree is currently the best at minimizing the severity of impacts to the head).
If Tagovailoa clears the protocol, he will have an important decision to make, one which will have a tremendous impact on his financial future. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the four-year, $212.4MM extension that Miami authorized for Tagovailoa at the end of July does not include any concussion-related provisions or carve-outs for either the player or the team, despite the unfortunate history here.
Of the $212.4MM total value of Tagovailoa’s new contract, roughly $167MM is guaranteed for injury. $43MM of that figure has already been paid out, so if Tagovailoa is cleared to play but chooses to retire – as noted above, he presently has no intention of doing so – he would forfeit the remaining $124MM, absent some sort of settlement with the Dolphins (h/t Spotrac). The ‘Fins could also seek to recover paid but unearned signing bonus money, which would amount to $8.4MM per year through 2028 and roughly $466K for each game left in 2024 after he is cleared (via Florio).
Luckily, both Rapoport and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hear that Tagovailoa will not be forced into retirement. But if for some reason he does not receive medical clearance, then the team would still need to pay him the $124MM in remaining injury guarantees. While the contract itself does not include any special language regarding concussions, the Dolphins did take out an insurance policy that would cover up to $49.3MM of that $124MM figure, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com notes.
Needless to say, the primary concern here is Tagovailoa’s long-term health, though the financial component of the situation cannot be ignored. At this time, there is no timeframe for a resolution, with head coach Mike McDaniel saying he is not focused on his quarterback’s return to the field.
“You’re talking about his career — his career is his,” McDaniel said. “I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind.”
AFC Contract Details: Brown, Ramsey, Heyward, Carter, Bell
Here are some details on recent contracts reached around the NFL:
- Spencer Brown, T (Bills): Four years, $72MM. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 provided some contract details on Brown’s recent extension. The deal comes with a $6.4MM signing bonus and a $16MM option bonus that will pay out in 2025. An additional $7.1MM roster bonus will hit in 2026. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia added the distinction that most of Brown’s $7.14MM base salary in 2026 will be vested in 2025.
- Jalen Ramsey, CB (Dolphins): Three years, $72.3MM. Per OvertheCap.com, Ramsey’s new extension comes with $24.24MM guaranteed at signing. The deal also contains a guaranteed 2025 roster bonus of $4MM paid in March and a guaranteed 2025 option bonus of $18.98MM due in Week 1 of next year. He can receive option bonuses of $8.14MM and $8.84MM in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and roster bonuses of $2MM from 2026 to 2028.
- Cameron Heyward, DT (Steelers): Two years, $29MM. While we had mentioned that most of Heyward’s guarantees came in the form of his signing bonus, OvertheCap.com shows us that the remaining guaranteed money comes from Heyward’s 2024 base salary of $1.3MM. Heyward can earn roster bonuses of $13.45MM in 2025 and $12.95MM in 2026.
- Michael Carter II, CB (Jets): Three years, $30.75MM. ESPN’s Rich Cimini tells us that Carter’s deal comes with a $6MM signing bonus that is included in the contract’s $13MM of guaranteed money at signing. There’s an additional $5.4MM guaranteed for injury. The deal also contains a guaranteed 2025 option bonus of $4MM.
- David Bell, WR (Browns): Two years, $2.44MM. Wilson tells us that Bell’s contract has base salaries of $1.11MM and $1.34MM. Bell can earn an additional $50K in a workout bonus in 2025.