Miami Dolphins

As the Miami Dolphins wait to see what is going to happen with Tua Tagovailoa's health while he recovers from a concussion, the team is unlikely to trade for a quarterback who might be able to fill in as the starter.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins making a trade "doesn't seem likely at this point," despite Tagovailoa being out for at least three more games while on injured reserve.

One source told Fowler that Miami's "not much into it at this time" when talking about a potential trade.

There have been rumblings that Miami could look to reunite with former first-round pick Ryan Tannehill, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport recently noted he is looking for a situation that would allow him to play for the entire season.

The Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve on Sept. 17, five days after he suffered a concussion in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It's the third diagnosed concussion the 26-year-old has suffered in his NFL career.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that Tagovailoa is scheduled to meet with independent neurologists this week.

"The plan hasn't changed. It's been executed," McDaniel said. "That's where it stands. I don't know reports, who sources are, but people should talk to me. I've got the real information."

Amid speculation that Tagovailoa could retire, Rapoport (h/t NFL.com's Christian Gonzales) reported he has "no plans" to walk away from football and he will continue to see specialists until he is deemed healthy and able to play.

It's unclear who will start for the Dolphins going forward. Skylar Thompson started Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but he left in the third quarter after suffering a rib injury. Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley are the other quarterbacks currently on the roster.

McDaniel said during his press conference on Tuesday that Thompson is "day to day" right now and would be the top option if he is healthy.

Boyle and Huntley have very little experience in McDaniel's system. Boyle was signed to Miami's practice squad on Aug. 29 and was served as the backup in Week 3, playing 26 snaps after Thompson left.

Huntley was signed by the Dolphins on Sept. 16 after starting this season on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad. He made nine starts in four seasons with the Ravens from 2020 to '23.

The Dolphins have lost back-to-back games after their 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. They will host the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

Amid his continued recovery from his third diagnosed concussion in the NFL, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be evaluated by outside experts.

Per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that Tagovailoa will meet with outside neurologists this week.

"The plan hasn't changed. It's been executed. That's where it stands," McDaniel said. "I don't know reports, who sources are, but people should talk to me. I've got the real information."

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Miami's Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills and was placed on injured reserve days later, ruling him out for at least the next four games. In the Dolphins' first game without their starting quarterback, they suffered a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

To make matters worse, backup quarterback Skylar Thompson suffered a rib injury and was ruled out for the game midway through the third quarter. He threw for just 107 yards before exiting the game and being replaced by Tim Boyle, who went just 7-of-13 for 79 yards. In total, Miami's offense totaled just 205 yards, nearly 200 yards lower than its season average from the 2023 campaign.

McDaniel said Tuesday that Thompson is considered day-to-day and the next two days will be important to determining whether he will be able to start Monday night's game against the Tennessee Titans. If Thompson is unable to play, the starting job could go to Boyle or Tyler Huntley. However, McDaniel added that the team will continue evaluating outside quarterback options as well.

Tagovailoa is the face of the Dolphins franchise after signing a four-year, $212.1 million extension this offseason. While getting him back would help the team avoid a lost year, Miami needs to consider his long-term health before determining when he can return to the field.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has added to his legal representation and advocated for wide police reform in the aftermath of his Sept. 8 traffic stop, according to TMZ Sports.

Julius B. Collins, Hill's original lawyer, is now working with Jeffrey A. Neiman, Stephen B. Kelly Jr. and Devon M. Jacob.

"Tyreek intends to continue the national movement for necessary police reform that George Floyd's death started," Jacob said on Hill's behalf. "Tyreek is demanding that Congress finally pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act."

Named in honor of the man murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would among other things limit qualified immunity for officers in civil matters and lower the standard for conviction when police are the subject of federal prosecutions for misconduct.

Hill was briefly handcuffed by Miami-Dade Police hours before the Dolphins' 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, alleged the eight-time Pro Bowler was speeding and "not immediately cooperative with the officers" after they pulled him over. Stahl added that Hill was "redirected to the ground" when he wouldn't sit down.

In his first press conference after the incident, Hill told reporters he "could have been better" when initially interacting with officers.

"Now does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not," he said.

Miami-Dade Police released bodycam footage that shows the moments when Hill was pulled over and removed from the vehicle.

The Dolphins said in a statement they were "saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct directed towards [Hill], Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by police officers."

The department said Danny Torres, the officer who removed Hill from his car and handcuffed him, is on administrative leave, and Hill has called for Torres to be fired.

Neiman renewed that aim in Monday's announcement.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson was ruled out of the team's matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday due to a chest injury.

Thompson was slow to get up after he sacked near the start of the third quarter. He stayed in the game, but ultimately exited the contest on Miami's next drive. Thompson was replaced by Tim Boyle under center.

He was already filling in for Tua Tagovailoa, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in the Dolphins' Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Thompson finished 13-of-19 for 107 yards against Seattle. He was also sacked five times.

Boyle didn't fare much better under center, completing 53.8 percent of his throws for 79 yards.

Thompson was selected by the Dolphins with a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He appeared in eight regular-season games prior to Sunday's action, with mixed results. The 27-year-old completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 614 yards, throwing one touchdown compared to three interceptions.

Tagovailoa isn't eligible to return until Week 8 after he was placed on IR, and Thompson's status moving forward is currently unknown. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could stick with Boyle in the meantime, as he has five career starts under his belt.

If McDaniel wants to go in a different direction after Miami was only able to muster 205 total yards of offense against the Seahawks, he could start Tyler Huntley under center. The Dolphins signed Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Monday.

The Pro Bowl quarterback was inactive on Sunday, but he was also Miami's emergency third quarterback.

McDaniel will need to choose between Boyle and Huntley if Thompson is unable to return in time for the Dolphins' Week 4 clash with the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football.

Despite the Titans' 0-3 record, they still own the No. 5 pass defense in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins legend Eugene "Mercury" Morris died at the age of 77.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press noted the team revealed Sunday that Morris died and shared a statement from his family that said his "talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport."

The family's statement continued and said, "Beyond the field, Mercury was a devoted father, a loving brother, a loyal friend, and a pillar in the community. His presence extended far beyond football, as he touched the lives of many throughout his time in Miami."

Miami selected Morris with a third-round pick in the 1969 NFL draft, and he played seven seasons for the team before playing his final NFL campaign on the San Diego Chargers in 1976.

He remains fourth on the Dolphins' all-time leaderboard for rushing yards with 3,877, which is behind only Larry Csonka (6,737), Ricky Williams (6,436) and Ronnie Brown (4,815). He also ran for 29 touchdowns and scored another as a receiver during his tenure with the AFC East team.

Morris' best two seasons also coincided with the best two seasons in Dolphins' history.

Miami went 14-0 and won the Super Bowl during the 1972 campaign as the running back tallied 1,000 yards and a league-best 12 touchdowns on the ground. He then ran for 954 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns during the team's second straight Super Bowl-winning season in 1973.

Morris, Csonka and Jim Kiick formed a dominant rushing trio, and those Lombardi Trophies remain the only two in franchise history.

Those 1972 Dolphins also remain the only NFL team to finish undefeated and untied, which cemented their status in league history.

Longtime NFL journalist Ed Werder was among those who reacted to the news of Morris' death and his overall impact on the Miami area:

Following his retirement, Morris was sentenced to 20 years in prison following a 1982 conviction on cocaine trafficking charges. However, that conviction was overturned, which led to the next chapter of his life.

"He fought the conviction, admitting he used cocaine—in part to deal with numerous lingering injuries—but never sold the drug," Reynolds wrote. "His conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court in 1986 and Morris became a motivational speaker urging people to avoid drugs."

Morris is now a member of the Dolphins' Walk of Fame and is survived by his five children and three siblings.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill recently met with local police this week to discuss the fallout from Miami-Dade officers detaining him prior to a Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaking to reporters about the meetings Thursday, Hill explained "there's been some small steps moved forward" but didn't offer specific information about what was discussed.

"Right now, I want to do a good job of keeping that private. When everything's happened, it's going to happen. We'll kind of lean on you guys to get the word out and spread the message, but right now it's just small conversations. It's almost like contract negotiations," he said.

The Sun Sentinel released some of the bodycam video from one of the officers involved in the situation from Sept. 8.

Hill is heard in the video asking the officer to "give me my ticket so I can go" because he was going to be late to the stadium for the game. The officer becomes upset when Hill rolls his car window up, telling him to "get out of the car right now."

After the driver-side door opens, the officers forcefully grab Hill out of the vehicle before pushing him to the ground and holding him down.

One of the officers, Danny Torres, was placed on administrative duties by the Miami-Dade Police Department while an internal affairs investigation is ongoing.

Hill called for the officer who detained and handcuffed him to be arrested during a Sept. 11 press conference.

"Gone, gone, gone. He got to go man," Hill told reporters.

Hill and Calais Campbell, who arrived at the scene and was placed in handcuffs while attempting to deescalate the situation, both played in Week 1 against the Jaguars.

After the Miami Dolphins placed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, many wondered if reuniting with veteran Ryan Tannehill would provide them with a viable replacement.

However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that Tannehill is unlikely to end his free agency for a temporary role in Miami.

"My understanding is he, if he's going to play, it's going to be for a team he'd be able to play the entire season," Rapoport said. "This does not seem to be that with Tua, now on IR."

Tannehill, who spent the last five years with the Tennessee Titans, began his career with the Dolphins after being selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2012 draft. He went 42-46 as Miami's starter over six seasons before the team traded him to Tennessee, where he earned his lone Pro Bowl selection and was named 2019 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

The Titans chose to move forward with 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis as their starting quarterback, leaving Tannehill to test the waters in free agency. However, Rapoport's report suggests that the 36-year-old is not interested in a backup role at this stage in his career.

Tagovailoa will miss at least the next four games while he recovers from a scary concussion suffered in last Thursday night's loss against the Buffalo Bills. It was his third diagnosed concussion in his five-year NFL career.

The Dolphins are planning to deploy 2022 seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson as their starting quarterback in Tagovailoa's absence. Thompson produced 80 yards after taking over for Tagovailoa against the Bills and threw for 534 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his rookie season while appearing in seven games.

Miami also signed veteran backup Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad to add some depth.

The Dolphins will have to get used to life without Tagovailoa, starting with Sunday's road matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

Former NFL linebacker Manti Te'o says that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is "doing better" after suffering a concussion during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The NFL Network analyst said Wednesday on Sirius XM NFL that he had spoken with Tagovailoa's father, Galu Tagovailoa, to whom Te'o refers as "uncle."

"It's no surprise to me that he's going to try to get back, based on what Uncle Galu told me," Te'o said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post.

Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games after the Dolphins placed him on the injured reserve on Tuesday following the third concussion diagnosis of his NFL career.

Tagovailoa suffering the history after colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin while scrambling for a first down.

The Dolphins quarterback was on the turf for more than a minute before getting up and walking under his own power to the sideline. The team announced he had been diagnosed with a concussion minutes later.

Te'o, who like Tagovailoa is from Honolulu, Hawaii, had an emotional initial reaction to the hit when discussing the quarterback's injury in a Friday appearance on Good Morning Football.

"That was hard. People have to understand, this is just a game," Te'o said. "And then there's life. When you watch, when you watch a young man that you've known since a little boy go out there ... Is it hard for me? Yeah. But I can't imagine how hard it is for Uncle Galu and Auntie Diane watch their son, again, go down."

Te'o continued: "To see my brother, Tua, go down like that, it really just makes me … I want the best for Tua, the man. He's a father of two now. I want him to be able, not today, but 10, 15, 20 years down the line, to be able to raise his children, be able to walk his daughter down the aisle. That's what I want for Tua. That's true joy."

Tagovailoa missed five games during the 2022 season after suffering two officially diagnosed concussions. He was also diagnosed with a concussion in 2019 while playing for Alabama.

The quarterback will be sidelined until at least Week 8 as he seeks multiple neurologists' opinions on the injury, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. The improvement reported by Te'o is good news not only for the Dolphins' hopes of seeing Tagovailoa return this season but for his overall health going forward.

The Miami Dolphins have a $49.3 million insurance policy on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, according to a copy of his contract reportedly obtained by ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday after suffering a concussion last Thursday during the Dolphins' Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The insurance policy is set to kick in "if Tagovailoa is not cleared by doctors to return to play," Graziano reported.

The four-year, $212.4 million contract Tagovailoa signed with the Dolphins this season includes $167 million in injury guarantees, $43 million of which have already been paid, per Spotrac.

The Dolphins will be obligated to pay out the rest of the guaranteed $124 million if Tagovailoa is not medically cleared to return to the NFL, per Spotrac. In that case, Graziano noted that the insurance policy could help "offset" that total.

NBC Sports' Mike Florio previously reported that Tagovailoa's contract allows the Dolphins to purchase insurance policies worth "up to" $49.3 million.

This amount applies to injuries suffered between the contract's signing in July and the beginning of the Dolphins' offseason workouts in 2025, Florio noted. The maximum insurance the Dolphins can hold on Tagovailoa's contract then decreases each year, starting with a drop to $36.975 million in 2025, per Florio.

Tagovailoa's retirement would need to be mandated by doctors to trigger both his injury guarantees and the Dolphins' ability to collect the insurance money, per Spotrac and Florio.

Should Tagovailoa decide to retire without being medically held off the field, he would be forced to forfeit the remaining $124 million in guarantees.

In that case, the Dolphins could attempt to recoup "the bulk of" the $42 million signing bonus Tagovailoa earned when signing his new deal in July, Florio noted.

Alternatively, if Tagovailoa is medically cleared by March and the Dolphins choose to release him, they could decide to take on $83.6 million in dead cap over the 2025 and 2026 seasons rather than paying out the rest of his contract, per Spotrac.

For now the focus will be on Tagovailoa's health as he recovers from the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career.

The Dolphins quarterback suffered two diagnosed concussions leading him to miss five games during the 2022 season. He was also diagnosed with a concussion during his 2019 college season with Alabama.

Tagovailoa is eligible to return on Oct. 27 for Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals at the earliest. He "will seek opinions from multiple independent neurologists before returning to the field," Marcel Louis-Jacques reported for ESPN.