Despite a tough AFC wild-card loss to eventual Super Bowl champions Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the 2023 Dolphins appeared to improve from head coach Mike McDaniel’s first year on the job.
Finishing the season 11-6, Miami’s increasing success goes hand-in-hand with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s numbers growing stronger and stronger over the years. Since he was picked fifth by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Honolulu native hadn’t played a full professional season until last year when he ended up leading the league in passing.
However, Tagovailoa is extremely injury-prone, having dealt with several concussions, a shoulder injury, finger and rib fractures, and a thumb sprain since he joined the Dolphins. Throughout his four-year career in the NFL, he’s sat out nine games in which backup quarterbacks have had to replace him.
Tagovailoa’s supporting cast this year features backup Skylar Thompson and practice squad slinger Tim Boyle. Here’s everything to know about the Dolphins QB depth chart, including how Thompson remains a key backup for his starter.
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QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Dolphins QB depth chart
| RANK | PLAYER |
| 1 | Tua Tagovaloa |
| 2 | Skylar Thompson |
| 3 | Tim Boyle |
1. Tua Tagovailoa
The 26-year-old quarterback enjoyed his best season so far last year, playing 17 games for Miami and finishing the season as the league’s top passer with 4,624 yards. Among his 388 completions were 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, good for just under 70 percent of passes caught and an overall rating of 101.0.
In his first game of the 2024 regular season against the Jaguars, Tagovailoa led all Week 1 quarterbacks in passing with 388 yards and one touchdown in the 20-17 win. Expectations are high for him this year to lead the Dolphins past the first round of the playoffs, in which they’ve fallen the past two seasons.
If Tagovailoa manages to stay injury-free, he could be in for a repeat of last regular season where he was the league’s most prolific passer. However, with the Bills to contend with in the AFC East, the road to the playoffs for Miami won’t be easy.
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2. Skylar Thompson
Drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft from Kansas State, Thompson has been a member of the team’s quarterback room ever since. He was Miami’s third-string option the past two years, backing up Mike White last year and Teddy Bridgewater the year before.
Thompson made his NFL debut in Week 5 of his rookie year against the Jets after Bridgewater left the contest with a concussion — the same injury Tagovailoa was dealing with at the time. He started two of the seven games he played in the 2022 regular season, throwing for a total of 534 yards on 60 completions with one touchdown and three interceptions to show for it.
The quarterback was also named Miami’s starter for its wild-card game against the Bills the same year, and Thompson put up a valiant effort with 220 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on the day. Despite falling to Buffalo, he helped the Dolphins keep it close. They entered the team as 14-point underdogs and only lost 34-31.
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3. Tim Boyle
Added to the Dolphins practice squad on Aug. 29, Tim Boyle has been in the NFL since signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent before the 2018 season. He saw his first professional action the following year, playing briefly in two games for Green Bay.
Boyle became an unrestricted free agent in 2021 and made his first career start with the Lions that year in place of an injured Jared Goff. He played in five games for Detroit, throwing for 526 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions on 64.9 percent passing. After signing a one-year contract extension with the team in March 2022, Boyle was released in late August and signed by the Bears in November off the Lions practice squad.
With minimal playing time in Chicago throughout the 2022 campaign, the quarterback signed with the Jets during the offseason and eventually backed up Zach Wilson throughout the 2023 season, who had replaced the injured Aaron Rodgers. Last year, Boyle played in three games for New York with 48 completions, 360 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.
