About two weeks after signing Tyler Huntley, the Miami Dolphins will start him at quarterback for their Week 4 Monday night game with the Tennessee Titans. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel announced the decision on Saturday.
Miami signed the former Pro Bowler to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills and was ultimately placed on injured reserve.
Huntley was the Dolphins’ emergency QB for their Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, with Skyler Thompson starting and Tim Boyle backing him up. Thompson was knocked out of the game in the third quarter after taking three hard blows to the torso area and was eventually diagnosed with a chest injury.
Boyle threw for 79 yards on 7-of-13 passing after taking over. Before leaving the game, Thompson threw for 107 yards while completing 13 of 19 passes.
A native of South Florida, Huntley has started nine games in his four NFL seasons, including four in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Overall, he has completed 65% of his passes for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he also rushed for 509 yards and three scores.
His performance in 2022 – completing 67% of his passes for 658 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions – earned him Pro Bowl honors. That experience apparently helped him pick up the Dolphins’ offense quickly and influenced McDaniel’s decision.
“One thing that has been extremely clear to the team since he got here, and even more so this week of practice, is that he has started many, many big games,” McDaniel told reporters, via the Miami Herald. “As a quarterback, understanding exactly what it takes to win over teammates, take someone else’s place and assert their own personality, their own skills and their own attributes within the offense and lead people.”
Thompson could potentially be the team’s emergency QB against the Titans, McDaniel said. But Boyle will support Huntley on Monday.
Miami will be without left tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller in Week 4, with both players in concussion protocol. In addition, the availability of running back Raheem Mostert is uncertain with a pectoral injury, while linebacker David Long Jr. is expected to make a decision during the match with a hamstring injury.
