The Miami Dolphins are scrambling the morning after their Thursday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills. In addition to suffering a loss on the schedule, the team lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to another concussion, presumably for an extended time.
Fans entered the season with high expectations and want to keep those hopes alive. With Skylar Thompson set to take over, though, there's not a ton of optimism in him. Following the Tagovailoa injury, social media quickly filled up with fans asking who the Dolphins should turn to as a replacement to keep best their playoff hopes alive.
Unsurprisingly, the fans tossed out some wild long shots, including some hoping to pull Tom Brady out of retirement. The longtime New England quarterback who tormented Miami for years would certainly be a fun idea - imagine him with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle - but this one is improbable. Brady has a cushy gig with FOX that seems far too appealing for the 47-year-old.
Now, there are some realistic possibilities that could come to fruition. If Miami GM Chris Grier works the phones, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, or Jameis Winston could all be viable targets. All three are currently backups and could be had for a draft pick. Pickett, for example, just landed in Philadelphia via a third-round pick, among other pieces.
kenny pickett you are a miami dolphin
— trey (@TreyfromNY) September 13, 2024
The other veterans, who probably would be better fits with their stronger arms, could be had for less to fill in the void as the Dolphins quarterback.
"Joe Flacco on the Dolphins would go crazy," one X user posted. Flacco is familiar with coming in as a quick fix after doing so in Cleveland last season en route to earning a playoff spot and even winning the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award. Another fan wrote on X, "I'm not even trolling, if the Dolphins were somehow able to get Joe Flacco, they would be better than they were with Tua."
Joe Flacco is one name fans have in mind to fix the Dolphins Quarterback issue. Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images
In the Winston camp, one account is all in on the idea of bringing in the current backup in Cleveland: "Dear Miami Dolphins, trade for Jameis Winston NOW. I love Tua Tagovailoa, but your offense, roster, and scheme with JW's cannon arm would be MUST-SEE-TV!"
One option currently sitting around as a free agent and recently someone whose name popped up after Jordan Love's injury in Green Bay is Ryan Tannehill. This would be an easy move, as he's familiar with the franchise. Tannehill was the Dolphins quarterback before after the organization tagged him with its 2012 first-round draft pick.
The Miami Dolphins should be calling Ryan Tannehill and Tom Brady right now
— Jeff Schmidt (@Schmidtalking) September 13, 2024
"There is nothing I'd like to see more than Ryan Tannehill return to the Dolphins without Adam Gase and make a run to the playoffs," one user posted on X.
If the Dolphins choose to do nothing, then they'll ride with Thompson. He has made two career starts and has one career touchdown versus three interceptions. Miami would be wise to seek external help at quarterback if Tagovailoa is out for an extended period of time or risk falling too far behind the pack.
Related: NFL's Solution To Detecting Concussions Already Exists, They're Just Not Using It
