Here’s why Tyler Huntley replaced Skylar Thompson as the Dolphins’ No. 2 QB
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had high praise for Skylar Thompson after the third-year player won the No. 2 quarterback role.
“His mental speed is really fast and we were trying to catch his body up to it, and I think that’s something he’s been working on diligently,” McDaniel said Aug. 26. “And I think the proof is in the pudding, he came in day in, day out at practice and ultimately was able to win the job. So I think the same types of things in terms of growing at your position and growing in your game that Tua [Tagovailoa] has experienced, there’s multiple things within Skylar’s game that he’s progressed that I see a better quarterback now than I did at the beginning of camp or last year or the year before.”
Roughly three months and a few quarterback mishaps later, McDaniel somewhat changed his tone.
“I wanted to see ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] operate and everything,” McDaniel said Tuesday, “but the plan is to have him back Tua up this week.”
A lot has changed since Thompson won the No. 2 quarterback job in training camp, however, one thing is certain: the ascension of Huntley within the Dolphins offense has come at the expense of the seventh-round pick out of Kansas State. Although McDaniel has recently affirmed his trust in Thompson, the quarterback was told he needs to improve in the “operation” of the offense.
“The operation and stepping in there and being able to operate everything,” Thompson said Thursday. “At the end of the day, it comes down to that.”
Thompson certainly had a chance to further entrench his hold on the No. 2 job. After beating Mike White for the backup role, Thompson was thrust into the starting position after Tagovailoa sustained a concussion during the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Missouri native, however, sustained a rib injury during the subsequent game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Although Thompson didn’t particularly wow prior to his exit from the Seahawks game, completing 68% of his passes for 107 yards, his injury opened up the opportunity for Huntley, whom the Dolphins signed off of the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad. Huntley went 1-2 over his three starts before an AC sprain knocked him out of the game in which the Dolphins narrowly lost to the Indianapolis Colts 16-10.
Huntley landed on injured reserve, and Tagovailoa returned for the Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals. As Tagovailoa brought the offense closer to its truest form, the backup quarterback question was momentarily put on hold.
Two snaps in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins’ second New England Patriots matchup, however, seemingly changed everything. The first – Thompson’s handoff up the middle to Jaylen Wright – was rather innocent. It was the second play – a botched handoff to Wright that Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez scooped up and returned for a touchdown – that not only got Thompson yanked from the game but maybe even demoted.
“When I got in there in the Patriots game, we turned the ball over,” Thompson said. “No matter what, you can’t do that.”
The day after the 34-15 win against the Patriots, McDaniel reaffirmed his faith in Thompson.
“I trust Skylar,” McDaniel said Nov. 25. “I think the situation this past game was unacceptable from just the whole unit. I think that from our perspective, I think across the board that’s not to our standard from the way we came out of the huddle to the execution of plays and then to give up points on an offensive play. And I won’t get into the nitty gritty of — I’m not going to point fingers at a microphone, but ultimately, that falls on everybody involved including the coaches that we can’t have that collective effort. That wasn’t him just responsible for, but my reaction towards it wasn’t strictly based on him; it was more of a tonality with the whole group.”
In spite of what McDaniel said, it’s clear that he prefers Huntley over Thompson – at least for now. Huntley, who just served as the No. 3 quarterback in the Green Bay Packers matchup, appears ready for whatever the backup role entails.
“Just being there for Tua,” Huntley said when asked about his goals for the rest of the season. “Making sure that he got all the keys going into the game and just being supportive to my team, being there every step and be ready to step in if called on.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 5:52 PM.
