When it comes to
Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion , we should agree as a football-loving community to be respectful of his recovery and his individual decision on how to proceed as a professional football player. The Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL certainly have his back, and I think it's useful to heed
head coach Mike McDaniel's message about not jumping to conclusions about Tua's future. https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1834604943296036913 Having said that, there is some nuance to be had here. I'm sure a lot of folks out there want Tua to never play another down. I get that. I can also envision a scenario where the fiery competitor in Tua wants to give it one more go, which is fully up to him and what he thinks his best. Regardless of Tua's decision, though, Miami needs to start developing better contingency plans than former seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson. To me, this doesn't mean the pure fantasy land concept of luring Tom Brady out of retirement. That's a one-year fix at best. I'm talking about viable multi-year players who still have upside to explore, but who wouldn't necessarily threaten Tua's job beyond reproach in the event he decides to return to the field, be it this season or in 2025. So with those factors in mind, I've compiled a list of QBs who fit that criteria and should be squarely on the Dolphins' radar. I think all of them would prove to be an upgrade over Thompson.
Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals The Dolphins' offense is predicated on timing, accuracy, and a cerebral distributor who can manage the game from the quarterback position. Jake Browning completed over 70% of his passes last season in relief of an injured Joe Burrow, and went 4-3 as a starter to keep Cincinnati in the playoff hunt. Browning also has plus mobility, and has had to grind on the margins of the NFL for years just to earn a starting shot. Given the uncertainty around Tua's future, it'd behoove Miami to hedge their bets on a cost-effective player, since Tua just got a massive contract extension. While his performance could lead to a considerable pay increase in the ensuing years, Browning is, in actuality, under contract through 2025 for less than $2 million. He's dying for another opportunity. Plug him in with the likes of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and that cutting-edge Fins rushing attack? I feel like magic could happen. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1736086152770388365 Tell me this isn't a dude you'd want to go to war with on the gridiron: https://twitter.com/AryePulli/status/1736508385443360853 Now to question is, would the Bengals ever give up Browning, particularly in the same conference, to a fellow aspirational contender despite having an injury-plagued QB of their own in Burrow? That's where the Dolphins would have to make a really enticing offer to Cincinnati to acquire him. A couple Day 2 or early Day 3 draft picks just might get it done. https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1744168747001127175
Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars As a rookie for the Patriots, Mac Jones had a play-caller named
McDaniels and led New England to a postseason appearance. Then, Bill Belichick decided to go Morse code with non-offense guys co-calling the offense in Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, thereby wrecking Mac's confidence and ruining his NFL career trajectory. Mac gives me spoiled brat/immature kid vibes, but then again, I'd be pretty miserable if I had to endure the end of Belichick's Patriots tenure. Still a young gun who just turned 26 last week, Mac was at his best in college at Alabama with a proven play-caller and elite weapons flanking him. He only had the play-caller element once in New England. He'd have both of those in Miami — plus the added bonus of sticking it to the Patriots in that same AFC East division. It'd be cool to see Tua's successor from Alabama join the same NFL team with him. If
any coach can pick up the shattered pieces of a player's confidence , it's Mike McDaniel. Look what he's done for Tua. If Zach Wilson didn't have so much emotional scar tissue and bad film from his Jets days, I might've picked the current Broncos QB3 as the 2021 first-round reclamation project. Mac gets the nod by a nose due to his Tua affiliation and a previous playoff berth. Doesn't anyone remember how hot Mac started? https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1449375828740124673
Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints My
39th-ranked player in the 2024 NFL Draft didn't come off the board until Round 5, Pick 150. As of today, he's stuck behind a resurgent Derek Carr and the higher-drafted Jake Haener, a fourth-rounder from 2023. Getting benched for Caleb Williams in college shouldn't count against Spencer Rattler. Nor should how he behaved on a high school Netflix show many moons ago. However, those two things have followed him and were part of the reason his draft stock plummeted. He acquitted himself quite well amid adverse circumstances at South Carolina, though — and the not-good, not-great, but elite arm talent is still there in spades. Does Rattler have to work on the precision of his ball location, the consistency of his footwork, and some processing-related decision-making? Yes. What better system for him to get reps at that than what the Dolphins run now? Rattler has the rocket arm to stretch the field, along with enough demonstrated variety of throws to do whatever McDaniel dials up. It also helps that Rattler is starting his NFL journey in a system masterminded by Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. He hails from the Shanahan coaching tree, as does McDaniel. I feel like that'd give Rattler an edge in adjusting to the Miami offense's complexity, as he'd likely be familiar with a fair amount of terminology and general schematic principles. Being a Day 3 pick means Rattler is on a cheap rookie deal as well. Worth a flier for the Dolphins if you ask me.
Bet against Dez Bryant's sports-related takes at your own peril. https://twitter.com/DezBryant/status/1825350376872165500 https://twitter.com/Saints/status/1827780820356280666
Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears The first of two more outside-the-boxers here. Having a quality backup is huge for any team, but the Bears are really hoping No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is the unquestioned face of their future. That leaves little upward mobility for anyone else on the QB depth chart. Miami might have better luck checking in on the NFC for potential trade partners. If anyone could afford to let their QB2 flee to greener pastures, it'd be Chicago with Tyson Bagent in the fold. Bagent got his feet wet in going 2-2 as a rookie starter in 2023. Not bad for an unheralded, undrafted Division II prospect who wasn't getting first-team reps as the Bears kept trying to make Justin Fields happen. The 24-year-old is obviously still on a cheap contract ($2.72 million over three years; expires after next season). He has a super-quick release, sound footwork, and seems to see the field pretty well despite his inexperience. Not to overhype the preseason too much, but Bagent low-key balled out and showed some nice polish that suggests he has a higher ceiling than many want to give him credit for. Plug him into the Dolphins' system, and we just might see some fireworks. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1824885005773853123 https://twitter.com/JimNagy_SB/status/1826787975285358783
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles The guy was not on my radar at all until this preseason, which again, let's not overreact to anything we see there, since it's coming against backups. But what you can't fake is arm strength that jumps off the screen, the consistent ability to throw with anticipation, and the fundamentals that are necessary for steady success at the position. A former
top-three pro-style QB recruit who had the academic qualifications to attend Stanford, Tanner McKee sure seems like he'd have the smarts to pick up the Dolphins' playbook in addition to the self-evident physical tool set to be a productive NFL starter someday. https://twitter.com/mikerenner_/status/1824531493303287973 McKee looks more impressive to me eye test-wise than Kenny Pickett ever did. I guess he's only ahead of McKee on the depth chart because he's a former first-round pick and Philadelphia traded for him this offseason. Not to just monotonously spam-invoke The QB School, but J.T. O'Sullivan's film breakdown of McKee is eye-opening. If you're looking for the next deep, borderline comatose sleeper QB across the league, Tanner McKee just might be the guy if Skylar Thompson ain't it in Miami. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdRH5QQSCgQ
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