Former Kansas State Wildcat Skylar Thompson hadn’t seen an NFL field since the 2022 AFC Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins, when he had to fill in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater. Now, two years later, Thompson was named the backup quarterback to Tagovailoa and likely didn’t know whether or not he would be on the field.

The Dolphins were trailing 31-10 against their division rival Buffalo Bills. Late in the third quarter, Tagovailoa was battling for the first down when he crashed headfirst into Bills safety Damar Hamlin and took a hard hit. The former Alabama quarterback remained on the ground, not looking well physically, as Dolphins medical personnel ran onto the field.

Although Tagovailoa was able to leave the field and return to the locker room under his own power, it was soon announced that the Dolphins’ starter was out with a concussion. It was his third official concussion in the last three seasons.

Concussions are a part of Tagovailoa’s tough career, and since he suffered another one tonight, nothing is known for the rest of the season.

If that’s the case, Thompson could be the starter for the Dolphins in his third season in the NFL. Thompson had a difficult hurdle to overcome with a 21-point deficit and some injuries on the Dolphins’ offensive line.

Thompson was giving the ball away a lot early on, but with the Dolphins’ receivers unable to gain much distance all night, it became even more difficult with a young backup in the game. For a young signal-caller, however, Thompson’s reading looks good for what he’s been assigned.

The Dolphins eventually lost the game 31-10. Thompson finished the game 8 of 14 passing for 80 yards and no touchdown passes, but no interceptions either. It’s probably safe to say Thompson hasn’t been around the regulars much in practice, and if he’s going to be a regular in the future, even if it’s just for next week, he should start getting those reps.

Thompson is still a young player in this league and is a moldable player who is athletic and can react quickly under pressure. The way the Dolphins offensive line currently looks, if Thompson steps up as a starter in the future, he will likely display many of those skills.