The Miami Dolphins may be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the foreseeable future after he suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. This is the latest in what has become a growing list of head injuries involving the former first-round pick, which is why the club may be embarking on an extended period of time where he’ll be on the sideline recovering.
As he does, Miami very well may be handing the keys over to backup Skylar Thompson. In the wake of Tagovailoa’s head injury, head coach Mike McDaniel described Thompson as the “next man up.”
“The best way to articulate where we’re at is that the team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said the morning after Tagovailoa’s injury. “There was a reason he was our backup quarterback..”
So, who is Skylar Thompson? Let’s get to know the Dolphins quarterback.
Collegiate career
The now 27-year-old spent quite a bit of time at the collegiate level. He redshirted at Kansas State in 2016 and then spent five more years with the program after that, departing after the 2021 season. Thompson ranks second on the school’s all-time leading passing yards list with 7,134 yards through the air and third on the all-time passing touchdowns list with 42. He also proved to be a capable runner within the offense, and his 26 rushing touchdowns rank ninth all-time in program history.
While he was one of the best quarterbacks to roll through Kansas State, Thompson battled injuries throughout his tenure. In 2020, he suffered a season-ending upper-body injury against Texas Tech in early October. He was also limited in 2021 due to injury. Despite that, he finished with 7,124 yards passing in his career to go with 42 passing touchdowns and just 16 interceptions.
Drafted by Miami in 2022
While the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft will be remembered as the draft that the San Francisco 49ers selected Brock Purdy with the last pick, the quarterback that came off the board before him was Thompson. Miami took the Kansas State product with the 247th overall pick that spring. Thompson was one of just four selections the Dolphins made during that draft cycle.
Has starting experience
Thompson has starting reps under his belt during his NFL career as he’s gotten the nod three times, including a playoff start. The Dolphins have gone 1-2 in those games, which all occurred during the 2022 season. Thompson’s first start came in Week 6 of that year against the Minnesota Vikings. The rookie wasn’t asked to do too much, as he dropped back to pass just 13 times. He completed seven of those throws for 89 yards in what was a 24-16 loss. Thompson fared better in his next start, which came in Week 18 of that year. He completed 64.5% of his passes for 152 yards in an 11-6 victory over the New York Jets.
Thompson’s next start was during Miami’s wild-card matchup against the Bills. In that game, he completed only 40% of his throws for 220 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. However, the Dolphins did play Buffalo tight as their AFC East rival managed to escape by a field goal, defeating Miami 34-31.
