The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of a tough situation in the aftermath of their 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter, one that left him lying motionless on the turf and his teammates and fans in silent shock.  His third (diagnosed) concussion over the last two calendar years, the Dolphins and Tua both have serious questions to ask themselves about their future together.

For now, it makes sense for Miami to look at outside options, either as a contingency plan, or perhaps as a straight up replacement – depending on how things shake out health wise with their starter.  According to Mike McDaniel on Friday morning, the team will be looking at Thompson as the starter and looking for an outside option (whether depth or another potential starting option).  Right now, the team has Tim Boyle on their practice squad.

Here’s a list of eight players who could be logical fits for the Dolphins:

Ryan Tannehill

Yes, yes.  Hear me out.  Tannehill, who started for the Dolphins from 2012 through 2018, never managed to pan out in Miami.  But then again, it’s fair to say that things around him weren’t the best either.  Miami didn’t have the offensive weapons they do now, nor a coaching staff as creative.  Out of the free agent options available, he’s probably the best that there is.

The question is whether he’d be willing to make a return to South Florida, and if he’d also be willing to potentially accept a bench role, something he probably could have already done easily elsewhere if he was inclined. Those are two big questions that don’t seem likely to be yesses.  But it’s still worth finding out.

Justin Fields

The Steelers’ backup QB (supposedly) was efficient in place of the injured Russell Wilson last weekend, helping Pittsburgh claim an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.  There’s no doubt there’s physical upside and tools with Fields.  Would they be enough to entice McDaniel to try and figure out how to maximize them in his offense?

Jimmy Garoppolo

The Rams’ backup to Matthew Stafford has ties to McDaniel from their time together in San Francisco.  He knows Kyle Shannahan’s system and should be able to adapt quickly to what McDaniel runs in Miami.  Not the greatest option but proved to be good enough to help bring the 49ers within one missed throw of likely winning a Super Bowl back in February 2020.

Jameis Winston

Winston can move the ball down the field.  There’s no doubt about that.  Perhaps better than anyone on this list.  And you know how McDaniel likes to try to do that. However, with Winston’s oohs and ahhs come the ewwws when he throws the ball to the wrong jersey.  Winston also could be more important than ever right now for the Browns, with DeShaun Watson’s potential legal troubles becoming an issue again as of the last few days.

Tyrod Taylor

Taylor is nothing, if not steady.  Not going to give you anything flashy, but the floor is pretty much higher than a lot of options on this list.  And with the best one-two combination in the game at wide receiver to rely upon, perhaps that would be enough to warrant a call – although the Jets could be loath to trade to one of their division rivals.

Mac Jones

Could Jones, currently a backup for the Jaguars, end up joining the team of the quarterback he succeeded at Alabama?  The former New England first round pick didn’t get the fairest of shakes in New England, following up the legendary Tom Brady while playing for a tough coach in Bill Belichick.  Not to mention a lack of weapons in the passing game.  Could a new environment with some of the best weapons in the game bring out the best in Jones, including a reunion with his college wide receiver Jaylen Waddle?  The two were able to do some big things together deep down the field in Tuscaloosa.

Trey Lance

Lance is truly an enigma, but he’s one that, if he ever gets right, could morph into a very good player.  That upside rests largely on the big arm and the physical tools he possesses.  However, it’s impossible to ignore the mistakes – five interceptions in a preseason game this year – and the apparent lack of confidence and decisiveness he’s played with.  He needs reps and experience to improve in those areas.  If Miami is looking for a potential long-term starter to groom (and if they do intend to look for a backup while rolling with Thompson as the starter), they could do worse than trying to develop and resurrect the former first round pick, particularly if Tua ends up deciding to step away from the game.

Joe Flacco

Flacco would have seemed silly to include on any QB list this time a year ago, but the Browns somehow decided to give him a shot last year after injuries decimated the position. And how he produced.  He earned the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award as a result.  Does the free agent have one more year in him?  Might be worth finding out.