Dolphins Dubbed Top Spot for 35,000-Yard QB to Take Over for Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins are going to start their third quarterback of the season in Week 4 when Tyler Huntley takes the field against the visiting Tennessee Titans .

That clearly was not the picture the franchise had in mind after signing QB Tua Tagovailoa to a $212.4 million extension over the summer to cement what appeared to be legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

Tagovailoa is out indefinitely with a concussion, though he could return as soon as mid-season. Miami (1-2) doesn't have to resign itself to a lost year, and going with Huntley over the likes of Tim Boyle in the absence of now-injured backup Skylar Thompson (ribs) is the team's way of saying it hasn't given up.

But while Huntley was a Pro Bowler in 2022, he is just 3-6 as an NFL starter over his four-year career and has played in only 20 games -- all of which came behind Lamar Jackson as a member of the Baltimore Ravens .

There are other solutions out there for the Dolphins. One of those solutions is a reunion with former starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill .

Miami drafted Tannehill No. 8 overall in 2012. He started all 88 games in which he played across six seasons for the Dolphins and went on to earn Pro Bowl honors, reach the playoffs three straight years and play in an AFC Championship Game for the Titans after departing South Florida in 2019.

Tannehill remains a free agent through Week 4 as he waits patiently for his opportunity to lead a team again during his age-36 season.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on September 27 dubbed the Dolphins the most "logical landing spot" for Tannehill amid the uncertainty surrounding Tagovailoa's future -- both this season and beyond.

"Ryan Tannehill has been the top veteran quarterback available for most of the offseason," Knox wrote . "If Miami, Tagovailoa or the doctors decide that taking the rest of the year off is best for the quarterback, Tannehill — who began his career with the Dolphins — would be the most logical replacement."

Tannehill has thrown for nearly 35,000 passing yards, 216 TDs and 115 INTs over the course of his career.