Miami is turning to its third starting quarterback in three weeks come Monday night.
Tyler Huntley will get the start against the Tennessee Titans with Skylar Thompson nursing a rib injury, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced Saturday. Tim Boyle will serve as Huntley’s backup.
“It wasn’t too far into the week, it was probably a handful of hours after I met with you guys last, we started making moves toward Snoop starting, and he will,” McDaniel said. “Which kind of came as a result, you’re waiting to see if Skylar (Thompson) is part of the equation and what you’re trying to assess based upon his ability to do football. … It became clear that he would possibly be in consideration for emergency third, but we’re going to move forward with Snoop starting and Boyle backing him up on Monday.”
The Dolphins signed Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad in the wake of Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion. The veteran has since gotten a few weeks to get acclimated to McDaniel’s system and will now take over an offense that has mightily struggled since losing its franchise QB.
Thompson’s start last Sunday was interrupted in the third quarter after taking a hard sack from Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson. He’d return the next possession but another hit forced him to exit for good. Boyle finished the game but offered little success in relief as Miami fell in Seattle, 24-3.
Huntley takes over a Dolphins offense that has scored just three points since Tagovailoa went down late in the third quarter of a Thursday night loss that kicked off Week 2. The veteran’s mobility will offer a new dynamic for a system that embraces speed. It’s also a facet that might circumvent Miami’s struggles in pass protection early on in 2024, which might be furthered with left tackle link-placeholder-0 also ruled out by McDaniel on Saturday.
“I’ve always valued quarterbacks with legs,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s a hundred percenter. It’s competitive advantage. The ability to make plays, that’s a broad, overarching statement. You can do it in a multitude of ways. What I’m expecting is for him to be comfortable making plays in various ways. The biggest thing is I see him being able to utilize his skill sets within the framework of the offense and understanding it’s about the collection of individuals doing their job, and what’s the best for this week to do that.
“Everybody knows that he can run. I think everybody knows that he can pass. He does a good job at both. So, I’m expecting him to go out and be one-eleventh of the formula.”
Huntley’s last start was nine months ago in Baltimore’s regular-season finale, but the 26-year-old has plenty of big-game experience and has seen great success in relief.
He was the saving grace for the Ravens after Lamar Jackson went down with an injury late in the 2022 season, earning three big wins that propelled Baltimore into the postseason. Huntley was formidable in his lone playoff start, completing 17 of 29 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but the Ravens ultimately fell short in a one-score game on the road against the Bengals.
Huntley should be ready for what is a homecoming of sorts for the South Florida native. Miami’s offense features plenty of weapons that could help make it a magical night for Huntley should the veteran utilize the speedy likes of receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the quick-pass game, something Tagovailoa has exploited in his rise to stardom.
The Dolphins (1-2) are set to kick off against the visiting Titans (0-3) at 4:30 p.m. ET as part of a Monday night doubleheader.
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