With the NFL season just around the corner, teams are finalizing details for what is expected to be a highly competitive tournament in both conferences. Among the most promising teams are the Miami Dolphins, who will be aiming to capture the AFC East title. Coach Mike McDaniel’s is finalizing the roster and determining who will be the primary backup to QB Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins wrapped up the preseason with a positive record: two wins and one loss. The first two games saw McDaniel’s squad victorious against the Falcons and the Commanders, while the final game ended in a defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in one of the Florida classics.
Preseason games not only serve to warm up for the upcoming season but also help determine which players will make the final roster for the full campaign. In this case, revealing who will be the primary backup quarterback to Tua Tagovailoa in the event that he needs to leave the field.
The young head coach of the Dolphins has expressed optimism about the players available at the start of the season, though he still has some concerns about key positions, such as finding a backup for Tua.
Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins looks on during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Hard Rock Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
McDaniel faces a key decision
Following the conclusion of the Miami Dolphins’ three preseason games, the remaining question is who will serve as the backup to Tua Tagovailoa if needed. In light of this, Coach Mike McDaniel has shared his thoughts on the situation regarding to Skylar Thompson.
In statements to the press, McDaniel said: “I think Skylar did a great job tonight. I think in terms of – we have a lot of information to take in. I’m not in any position to name [a] 53-man roster or backup quarterbacks or anything. I thought that he was competitive and made some plays and kind of got us going tonight.”
“With Skylar, he got the opportunity to play early in his career and I thought, as a rookie, he demonstrated some aggressiveness and ability to make plays in this league,” McDaniel said. “It’s been about, since then, training his craft and really owning the quarterback position within the offense and I thought this preseason, he’s exhibited growth and what that means. It means you are the leader of the unit, that you have to orchestrate play calls, decision making, all of those things, and I thought he took a good step forward tonight.”
Coach McDaniel’s thoughts on Mike White
With uncertainty surrounding who will serve as Tua Tagovailoa’s primary backup, McDaniel assessed the performance of former Jets QB Mike White.
“I think he faced some challenging situations,” McDaniel on assessment of White. “I thought he did a good job getting the team in and out of the huddle and played clean in that way, I think there [are] some opportunities – I have to look at the tape – that he was in there against their starters and competed and did some things that I was happy with, that we’ve been emphasizing. But before being able to say the extent to which both guys completely played, I’ll have to watch the tape first.”
Mike White #14 of the Miami Dolphins looks to pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter in a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Skylar Thompson’s thoughts on what’s ahead
One of the top candidates to be Tua’s primary backup shared his thoughts with the press about what’s ahead in the near future.
“Man, I had a lot of fun tonight,” Thompson said. “Obviously, you want to come out on the other end of the scoreboard, but I had a lot of fun tonight. I thought it was a great rep for me, coming into the game and not starting, kind of getting a rep at that – getting into the flow of the game, getting into the rhythm of the game, I thought that was a great opportunity for me tonight. I don’t know, I had a lot of fun. That sums up everything, kind of, for me tonight, a little bit.”
