Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins aren't looking to bring in an external starting quarterback while Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined with a concussion.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday that Skylar Thompson is the "next man up" under center. Thompson entered Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills when Tagovailoa exited with the third confirmed concussion of his career.

McDaniel explained the team has discussed potentially bringing in more quarterback depth but believes in Thompson's ability to keep the offense afloat without the starter.

Miami selected Thompson with a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft and started him three times as a rookie, including in a playoff loss to the Bills, when Tagovailoa was sidelined.

"I don't know what our timeline is. I'm not concerned with that," McDaniel told reporters after Thursday's game. "We played Skylar as a rookie and with the season on the line, and found a way to win an elimination game and go toe-to-toe with this very same organization in a playoff game. I think that he's a much better player than he was then. Those are things that the team feels—I think guys really believe in Skylar, so I have the utmost confidence in him."

Thompson went 1-1 as a starter while completing 57.1 percent of his passes for 534 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in two regular-season games in 2022 and then went 18-of-45 for 220 yards, one touchdown and two picks in the 34-31 loss to Buffalo in the playoffs.

Tagovailoa was sidelined for that postseason game because of the concussion he suffered earlier that season against the Green Bay Packers. It was his second confirmed concussion of the 2022 campaign and came after the first one against the Cincinnati Bengals left him hospitalized.

The one against Cincinnati also happened just four days after he took a hard hit during a game against the Bills. The NFL ended up changing its concussion protocol that season because of the Tagovailoa situation.

Given that history, another head injury in Thursday's game led to speculation about the quarterback's long-term future and whether he should retire.

McDaniel weighed in on the topic and told reporters, "His career is his … I just wish people would hear for a second what I'm saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest for him."

The coach also said his reaction to reading about his own hypothetical comments about his quarterback's career would be to say, "I've just made him worse."

He added that it remains to be seen whether Tagovailoa will go on injured reserve.

For now, the Dolphins will turn to Thompson with nine days to prepare for their Sept. 22 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson was one of the players nearest to the action when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the third confirmed concussion of his career during Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills, and he was concerned with his teammate's wellbeing in the aftermath.

"Crushed. I hate to see him like that," Jackson said, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "Even with his history already with that type of stuff, I hate to see it. I hate that it was him rushing out the pocket. Wish I could get that back for all of us. I could have been better."

The injury happened when a scrambling Tagovailoa went head first into Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The quarterback immediately went into a fencing position, and Jackson said he could tell his teammate "wasn't there all the way" from his vantage point on the field. Ultimately, Tagovailoa walked off the field and to the locker room under his own power but only after he was evaluated by trainers.

While the Alabama product didn't miss a game last season, he suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 campaign.

He was hospitalized from one that came against the Cincinnati Bengals, and a later one he suffered against the Green Bay Packers ended his season. Despite suffering the concussion, he remained in the game against the Packers because the extent of his injury wasn't known until the aftermath.

That was all the more notable considering a hit Tagovailoa suffered earlier that season against the Bills led to the NFL altering its concussion policy. He remained in the contest against Buffalo but suffered the troubling concussion against the Bengals just four days later.

Miami has nine days until its next game on Sept. 22 against the Seattle Seahawks. Skylar Thompson will likely be the starting quarterback in that one if Tagovailoa is not medically cleared to play.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the third concussion of his NFL career on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, which once again brought his long-term future under the spotlight.

The signal-caller signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract with Miami this offseason, and Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac broke down the details of the deal depending on what is next for Tagovailoa:

While a full recovery is the only real focus here, in response to questions regarding Tua Tagovailoa's contract:

The deal includes $167M guaranteed for injury, $43M of which has been paid in 2024.

If he's medically cleared to return to football, but opts to retire, he will…

— Spotrac (@spotrac) September 13, 2024

Of note, he still has $124 million of the $167 million in guarantees remaining. He would forfeit that money unless there was a customized settlement if he decided to retire while being medically cleared to play.

However, he would get to collect all of it if he was not medically cleared to play and forced into retirement.

It was a scary scene on the field given Tagovailoa's history. He went head-first into Bills safety Damar Hamlin after taking off running on a fourth-down play, and it was immediately clear something was wrong.

He ended up walking off the field and to the locker room under his own power.

Tagovailoa played all 17 games last season but suffered two confirmed concussions in 2022. One of them came early in the season when a hit against the Cincinnati Bengals forced him to leave the field on a stretcher.

That it came just four days after he remained in the game after another hard hit against the Bills led to some criticism.

He also suffered a concussion during a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers, although it wasn't revealed until the following day and after he remained in the contest. He was then placed in concussion protocol and missed the remainder of the season.

As for Thursday's injury, Miami turned to Skylar Thompson after Tagovailoa left and will likely continue to do so until the starter can return. The team's next game isn't until Sept. 22 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin offered well wishes to Tua Tagovailoa after the Miami Dolphins quarterback suffered a concussion in Thursday's 31-10 loss.

Hamlin, who made the tackle on the play where Tagovailoa was injured, sent "love and prayers" to the Dolphins star in a post on X after the game.

My love and prayers with @Tua fasho.. Sending you strength and healing for a speedy recovery. 🙏🏾 much love broski.

— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) September 13, 2024

The play occurred late in the third quarter when Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down and lowered his shoulder when his head appeared to collide with Hamlin's chest.

Tagovailoa remained on the turf and Dolphins center Aaron Brewer signaled to the sideline for the medical staff to come look at him.

"I was just trying to make a routine tackle," Hamlin told reporters after the game, "trying to get them off the field on fourth down."

The Dolphins quickly announced Tagovailoa would not return after being diagnosed with a concussion. Head coach Mike McDaniel said during his postgame press conference they will take a "day by day" approach with his recovery and not think about any return timeline:

"Right now, [it] is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation and taking it one day at a time. The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate. ... We'll get more information [Friday] and then take it day by day from there."

This marks the third diagnosed concussion for Tagovailoa in the past three seasons. The previous two came during the 2022 campaign, with the second one coming in a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season and Miami's playoff loss to the Bills.

Tagovailoa admitted in April 2023 that he considered retiring from football due to concerns over his concussions. He also said at the time that his decision to keep playing was informed by doctors and medical specialists telling him he was at no greater risk for concussions or CTE going forward.

Since the Dolphins played on Thursday night in Week 2, they will have nine days off before their next game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22.

The Miami Dolphins' offensive struggles were on full display before an injury to Tua Tagovailoa forced him to exit the team's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

Tagovailoa finished 17-of-25 for 145 yards and a touchdown, although he was picked off three times. The third interception for the 26-year-old was especially costly, as Bills cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram returned the ball for a touchdown.

The @BuffaloBills THIRD interception goes for a PICK-SIX!#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lJLnCpwJH4

— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa's night came to an end shortly afterwards, as he was tackled on a scramble late in the third quarter and stayed down on the field. The Pro Bowl passer was eventually able to walk off under his own power and enter the locker room, but he was later ruled out with a concussion.

Tua goes down after a hit to the head.

Praying he's okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/iOmdg6Fada

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 13, 2024

Prayers up for Tua. 🙏🏼 It’s tough to see such a hardworking and inspiring athlete face another setback.

— Carlos Gil (@carlosgil83) September 13, 2024

Prayers up for Tua

— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) September 13, 2024

Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa, completing eight of his 14 pass attempts for 80 yards. He was also sacked once.

The Dolphins were able to generate 351 yards of offense, but they were repeatedly kept off the board due to their inability to move the sticks when they needed to. Miami converted just one of its five opportunities on fourth down.

Defense was also an issue for the Dolphins, as the team failed to stop Bills running back James Cook. Cook racked up 95 yards from scrimmage on just 12 touches, scoring all three of his touchdowns in the first half.

Fans were disappointed in the overall performance from the team, criticizing Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Sean McDermott has coached circles around Mike McDaniel tonight. I'm not saying McDermott is without flaws, I certainly don't feel that way, but tonight he has absolutely out-coached the guy on the other sideline.

— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) September 13, 2024

Injuries aside, this was always the nightmare scenario for the #Dolphins.

The effect on your mentals of getting blown out at home by a banged up #Bills team isn't something you can come back from.

This was always Buffalo's division, Miami is at best playing for second.

— Hänsel (@UberHansen) September 13, 2024

Dolphins defense trying to guard James Cook pic.twitter.com/WouRlI82Zg

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 13, 2024

The only play in Mike McDaniel's playbook pic.twitter.com/VjeXPfxfMz

— Mat Mlodzinski (@MatMlodzinski) September 13, 2024

Mike McDaniel’s gotta have Achane on his fantasy team 💀

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 13, 2024

The Dolphins any time they have to face a decent football team pic.twitter.com/7Nw2EqNLOs

— Jameson Hutchison (@Jamesonrulez) September 13, 2024

#Dolphins Mike McDaniel will likely step to the podium after the game and take full blame for tonight's loss because that's the kind of guy he is & while Tua did have a bad night, this loss is more about McDaniel IMO so he's right. Terrible game plan & this team folded up quickly

— Jon Linder (@LinderShowMiami) September 13, 2024

The Dolphins fell to 1-1 after the loss, while the Bills moved to 2-0.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill says he is looking for "accountability on both sides" after he was briefly detained by the Miami-Dade police as part of a traffic stop before Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Let's not get mad, let's learn," Hill told Taylor Rooks in an interview aired on Thursday Night Football (3:00 mark of the video below.) "Because the more we get mad, I feel like that's moving us backwards. It's all about accountability, on both sides.

"Like okay, I'm going to take accountability for my wrongs. I want to know where I went wrong, how can I get better. And I want to hear that side of the accountability on that side, too."

.@TaylorRooks sits down with @cheetah to discuss Sunday's incident with police. pic.twitter.com/hP5oTpe7ZD

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 12, 2024

The Miami-Dade Police Department on Monday released body camera footage of the traffic stop, during which police officers forcibly pulled Hill out of his car shortly after pulling him over.

Hill spent 20 minutes in handcuffs before he was released. He was then reportedly cited for careless driving and a seatbelt violation.

"It's tough, it's hard. Going through something like that, it's traumatic, it's embarrassing," Hill told Rooks.

Hill continued: "I just feel like I'm not representing the name on the back of my jersey the right way. The flip side of it is, it's great, 'cause I can at least try to bring awareness to what this whole entire country's been trying to fix for the past decade.

"You got pros, and then you got cons, in every situation. It's all about what you do with it. You learn from your situation, you hold yourself accountable."

Body camera footage shows the traffic stop escalated after Hill, upon being told to roll his window down, rolled it down slightly and said "Don't tell me what to do."

"In the heat of the moment, the officer's thinking about his safety, I'm thinking about, I don't want pictures taken of me, and people saying, 'Hey, is that 'Reek before a game, getting pulled over?'" Hill said. "So I tried to meet in the middle, and say, here's my ID, and I'm going to leave my window barely [down.]

"But does that give them the right to pull me out of my car? No, it doesn't. It doesn't give them the right to put their hands on me, antagonize me, because there was a lot of that going on."

Hill told Rooks that while he was handcuffed, an officer "was pinching me on my neck, trying to get me to do something to him."

He concluded that he hoped his experience, which was recorded both by bystanders and the police, would ultimately have a positive impact.

"We're going to have some very uncomfortable conversations, and hopefully we're able to move the needle," Hill said. "Because as athletes, we want to be able to help the police. We want to be their voice, because we all want a safe community."

Hill on Wednesday called for one of the police officers involved in the incident, who his attorney identified as the "escalating officer," to be fired. The officer, identified as Danny Torres, has been placed on administrative duties during the department's ongoing investigation into the incident.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the third quarter of Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

He took off running on a fourth-down play and ended up going head first into Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Players immediately went to a knee as trainers came onto the field to assist him.

Tagovailoa ended up walking off the field under his own power and went to the locker room. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relayed an update:

Per Amazon streamingcast, Tua is conscious, awake, alert and has full movement in extremities. With family in locker room.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 13, 2024

Skylar Thompson entered the game for the starter after the injury.

"I was just worried about my guy. Not something that you ever want to be a part of," head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the game.

McDaniel added that the quarterback is in "good spirits."

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen also discussed Tagovailoa's injury after the game:

Josh Allen on Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion: “Understanding what’s happened in the past, just know I’m praying for him and his family. He’s a great football player but I’ve been around him outside the football field & he’s an even more amazing human... Hope everything is alright.” pic.twitter.com/qWz0FVFY93

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 13, 2024

"He's one of the best humans on the planet."

Josh Allen has a lot of love for @Tua.#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/fjq9vAbaDL

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 13, 2024

Patrick Mahomes and JJ Watt were among those who reacted as soon as it happened:

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 13, 2024

Oh no Tua.

🙏🏼

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 13, 2024

Injuries have been an issue for Tagovailoa throughout his NFL career, though he was able to stay healthy and appeared in all 17 games last season.

Tagovailoa suffered two diagnosed concussions throughout the 2022 season that kept him out of action for four games. One of his concussions occurred in a Week 16 loss against the Green Bay Packers, but he played the entire game and it wasn't revealed until the next day he was in concussion protocol.

In an attempt to protect himself from head injuries next season, Tagovailoa said he started incorporating jiu-jitsu into his training regimen during the offseason because it teaches him "how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I'm getting thrown around in."

Hopes were high for the Dolphins in 2024 coming off back-to-back postseason appearances. The Dolphins committed to Tagovailoa in the offseason by giving him a four-year, $212.4 million extension that keeps him under contract through 2028.

Miami's ceiling depends on Tagovailoa being able to stay healthy. He is coming off a 2023 season in which he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and threw a career-high 29 touchdowns.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa understands the pressure on him to play at a high level has only increased after he signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension during the offseason.

Speaking to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques about his new deal, Tagovailoa explained "heavy is the crown" because of the pressure that comes with being the face of the franchise.

"I'm the highest-paid employee in this office," he said. "I've got to get my whatever together, I've got to get that right and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go, to be able to do those things."

The contract made Tagovailoa the fifth-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL with a $53.1 million average annual salary.

Tagovailoa has always been a divisive player among NFL fans and analysts. His first two seasons were hampered by an organization in transition, though the Dolphins did go 13-8 in games he started.

Since hiring Mike McDaniel as head coach prior to the 2022 season, the Dolphins have had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. They became the first team to score at least 70 points in a game since 1966 when they defeated the Denver Broncos in Week 3 last season.

Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards (4,624) during the 2023 campaign. The next step for him is maintaining a high level of performance for an entire season and leading the Dolphins to a win in the playoffs.

The Dolphins went 30 games between wins over teams with a winning record from Week 3 of the 2022 season to Week 16 last season when they earned a 22-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

That streak included their loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 AFC Wild Card game, though Tagovailoa didn't play in that game due a concussion.

In his first career playoff start against the Kansas City Chiefs in January, Tagovailoa finished 20-of-39 for 199 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Miami lost the game 26-7, scoring its fewest points in a game under McDaniel.

If Tagovailoa can stay healthy, the ceiling is extremely high for Miami's offense. He just needs to find the next level to his game to help the Dolphins win their first playoff game since December 30, 2000.

Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill is calling for a police officer involved in the now-viral traffic stop prior to Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars to be fired.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hill made it clear that he believes Miami-Dade police officer Danny Torres deserves more of a punishment than being placed on administrative duties.

"Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. He gotta go," Hill said. "In that instance right there, not only did he treat me bad, he treated my teammates with disrespect."

Tyreek Hill calls for the dismissal of the Miami-Dade officer who handled his detainment — as only Hill can. pic.twitter.com/mIkcHRAvhi

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) September 11, 2024

Tyreek Hill says although he wishes he would’ve handled himself differently when police stopped him on Sunday, that doesn’t give them the right to treat him the way they did. pic.twitter.com/vaxORIiPLE

— c. isaiah smalls ii (@stclaudeii) September 11, 2024

The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation, which promotes diversity and equality of job opportunities in the NFL, released a statement on Wednesday saying it "strongly condemns" the actions taken by Torres and the other police officers involved in Hill's traffic stop:

A statement from the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation regarding Miami-Dade Police and the Tyreek Hill incident on Sunday pic.twitter.com/fh7BxH17iZ

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2024

Torres was one of the several cops at the scene when Hill was pulled over for speeding nearly three hours before Sunday's game. Body camera footage released on Monday showed Torres forcibly removing Hill from his vehicle, handcuffing him while kneeling on his back and forcing him to the ground.

Hill's teammates Jonnu Smith and Calais Campbell arrived on the scene after seeing the wideout in handcuffs, and Smith was issued a citation while Campbell was briefly handcuffed as well before all parties were allowed to move on.

Hill's comments on Wednesday echo the statement released on his behalf by his attorney, Julius Collins, demanding that Torres be relieved of his duties.

"Each action that a law enforcement official takes is governed by standard operating procedures," the statement read, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "We are of the opinion that the officer's use of force was excessive, escalating, and reckless. We are demanding that the officer be terminated effective immediately."

The police union that works with the Miami-Dade PD released a statement earlier this week saying that Hill was "uncooperative" with officers during the traffic stop, which led to the escalation of the incident. Louis-Jacques noted that attorneys representing Torres released a statement on Monday calling for their client's "immediate reinstatement" and calling the decision to place him on administrative leave "premature."

Hill added Wednesday that he is still taken aback by how he was treated by the officers on Sunday.

"It's shell-shocking," he told reporters. "It's crazy to know that officers would do that with the body cams on. What would they do if they didn't have body cams on?"

Hill is hoping that the situation could lead to more accountability on all sides to avoid future incidents like this.

"This could be a learning tool for everyone," he said. "Civilians, police… we hold [ourselves] accountable and get better."

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel clarified comments made by star wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Sunday while he was being detained by police during a traffic stop.

According to Jordan Mendoza of USA Today, body cam footage showed Hill getting forced to the ground by a police officer and saying that he had recently undergone knee surgery.

At one point, Hill said: "I'm not playing today, bruh, because that dude [expletive] my knee up. Like he really tackled me on my knee on this damn cement, bruh."

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, McDaniel was asked about Hill's knee on Wednesday, and the coach said Hill had a "minor procedure [during the offseason] he makes sure he takes care of."

Hill later confirmed to reporters that the procedure was stem cell treatment in Antigua.

Hill was ultimately released and not arrested on Sunday but was cited with reckless driving, per ESPN. He played in the Dolphins' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars despite his knee ailment, registering seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.

The 30-year-old Hill has been spectacular since joining the Dolphins in 2022 with back-to-back campaigns recording 119 receptions while exceeding 1,700 receiving yards in each and totaling 20 touchdowns through the air.

He's mostly avoided major injury, though in 2023 he missed a December game with an ankle injury that hampered him down the stretch of the season. In turn, his production took a hit—after recording eight games with 100 or more yards in his first 12 contests, he didn't hit that mark in the final four games of the regular season or the team's wild-card loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Granted, he came close against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, with 99 receiving yards, so it's not as though his production fell off a cliff. But it was clear he wasn't quite the same player down the stretch.

"When it happened, like my first reaction was like, man, my ankle is gone," Hill told reporters last season after first suffering the ankle issue. "My adrenaline kicked in, I ran off the field, then I sat for a while and it got stiff and I was going through a lot of pain. Then I just made up in my mind, I came in at halftime, I texted my wife, I was like, 'This s--t hurt.' I need an ankle massage tonight, and she's like, 'You'd better get your ass back in that game, dawg.' I was like, 'Alright.'"

This summer, Hill also dealt with a thumb injury, though it wasn't too serious.

There is no indication that Hill will have to miss any time, which is fortunate for the Dolphins since they have a huge game lined up with the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.