The Dolphins were at a low point after "Thursday Night Football" with Tua Tagovailoa's future up in the air.
Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in the third quarter of Miami's loss to the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. The 26-year-old entered a fencing response with his arms in an unnatural position. It was the Pro Bowl quarterback's third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career -- four if you include college.
Head coach Mike McDaniel and players from both sides expressed hope Tagovailoa would be OK after Thursday night. McDaniel did not want to speculate on his quarterback's immediate future and would wait until Friday for more information.
Tagovailoa was at the center of controversy during the 2022 season when he hit the back of his head on the ground in a matchup against the Bills but later played in a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals where he suffered a concussion. He missed two games before suffering another concussion against the Green Bay Packers and then was shut down for the season.
Miami was criticized for how it handled its signal-caller, who admitted he considered retiring after the season; his mother wished he did retire.
McDaniel supported backup Skylar Thompson but did not commit to his future beyond that. It's not hard to blame the head coach since the three career starts Thompson has doesn't inspire confidence. The third-year quarterback even started a playoff game against Buffalo and despite nearly pulling off an upset, his play was atrocious and not up to the level the Dolphins would want.
That's why Miami should look externally for another option. An easy and cheap option would be a reunion with Ryan Tannehill, who went unsigned in the offseason but awaits his opportunity. The Dolphins also could go with former New England Patriots quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones.
Jones looked rejuvenated in the preseason, and combining him with playmakers like Tyreek Hill, former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle and De'Von Achane could get Jones looking like the man who impressed with the Crimson Tide. McDaniel was the 49ers offensive coordinator when San Francisco reportedly considered drafting Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Dolphins head coach praised the former New England signal-caller and likely still believes in him as a potential starting quarterback.
It's unknown what Jones would fetch on the trade market nor if the Jacksonville Jaguars would be willing to trade him. However, General manager Trent Baalke would be foolish to not entertain the idea. Trevor Lawrence only has missed one game in his first three seasons. Hanging onto a premium backup isn't wise, especially if you can get solid value for him.
The same could be said of the Los Angeles Rams and Garoppolo. McDaniel is familiar with Garoppolo from their 49ers days, so the learning curve for the system might take as long as it might for Jones or Tannehill. Garoppolo was suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy, so he'll be able to practice and play quickly.
Matthew Stafford could get injured in front of a hampered offensive line, and with Puka Nacua's injury, Los Angeles' season could be over. If Stafford did get injured, what value is there to gain from having Garoppolo in there? The Rams would be better off finding out if Stetson Bennett is an NFL-caliber quarterback than trying to stay afloat with Garoppolo. Jimmy G has the postseason pedigree the Dolphins aspire to, and in McDaniel's system, the 32-year-old could get one last chance at success as a starting quarterback.
