Skylar Thompson knows he has a lot of responsibility as the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins for the time being. He is now in charge and is expected to help the team meet high expectations despite facing several challenges at the start of the season.
Thompson’s strategy is straightforward: stay present and take things one day at a time.
“When tomorrow comes I’ll focus on tomorrow,” Thompson said Wednesday. “That’s my approach to everything. That’s been my approach since I’ve gotten here, and that’s led me to success.”
He is likely to be the starter until Tua Tagovailoa comes back from his concussion. It’s unclear when that will be, but Tagovailoa will be out until at least Week 8.
The Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve on Tuesday as he recovers from his third diagnosed concussion in two years. He got hurt against the Buffalo Bills last Thursday after hitting his head during a play.
Coach Mike McDaniel has been clear that he won’t talk about timelines too early, focusing more on Tagovailoa’s health than on when he can return to play.
“The great thing about IR is that for a month’s time, there’s no timelines,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “I always say that, but I’m not sure that people quite understand.
If you set a timeline based on the information that you have today, how much of whatever goes on is fulfilling the prophecy of that timeline?
And is that the right thing? Especially with competitors, sometimes you can do more harm than good. Regardless, not worrying about anything as it relates to timelines is very empowering for him as a human being to recover from injury.”
McDaniel mentioned that he will know by Friday if Tagovailoa can join the Dolphins on their trip to play Seattle on Sunday. He didn’t specify what part of the multi-step evaluation Tagovailoa is in but indicated that the quarterback has been as engaged with the team as the rules allow.
“We’re all not trying to rush the process. As a matter of fact, we’re trying to do the process right,” McDaniel said. “That’s what our focus is; I have zero concerns about him.
He is in it with his teammates, and sometimes that means being on the field. Sometimes that means meetings. Sometimes that means in the training room. Sometimes that means in the locker room.”
Tagovailoa has also been helping Thompson, who knows what it’s like to be called into action unexpectedly.
Thompson started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a playoff loss to Buffalo in the wild-card round. Stepping in for Tagovailoa, who had two concussions that season, Thompson completed 78 of 150 passes for 754 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Thompson said he remembers all the details from his rookie season, from the defenses he faced to the crowd noise. One of the main lessons he learned was how to adapt.
“I felt like my rookie year I was doing things exactly by the book and viewing everything as I would see it in the playbook,” Thompson said. “The footwork and everything. And it was all new to me. I studied it so much — I felt I knew it so well that sometimes it slowed me down a little bit even.
That’s just another progression of being in my third year and having this opportunity again. I feel like I have a very good understanding of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Thompson did not play in 2023, serving as the team’s backup third quarterback in all 18 games behind Tagovailoa and Mike White, who is now with the Bills.
In his third season, Thompson mentioned that he understands McDaniel’s complex system well, which includes various shifts and motions.
His teammates have responded positively to his leadership, which is one reason McDaniel chose him for the No. 2 spot during training camp.
The Dolphins signed Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad on Monday to add depth, but they trust Thompson as their leader.
“I have no doubts in my mind that Skylar is going to go out there and do the best he can in Seattle,” said defensive tackle Zach Sieler. “I’m super excited to see him play and take on this opportunity. Obviously, we’re praying for and sad about Tua, but I have no hesitation with Skylar going out there as QB1 this week.”
