Tua Tagovailoa injury: Five emergency QB options for Dolphins, including big-name trade targets

Where could Miami turn if Tagovailoa is sidelined indefinitely?

In the wake of Tua Tagovailoa's Thursday injury, the third documented concussion for the Miami Dolphins quarterback since 2022, it's fair to say many are more concerned with the 26-year-old's long-term health than what's next under center in Miami. CBS Sports HQ injury expert Marty Jaramillo, for example, said that Tagovailoa's medical history suggests retirement should be on the table, and former NFL greats like Tony Gonzalez and Richard Sherman have already echoed as much, urging Tagovailoa to call it a career.

At some point, however, the Dolphins will need to make a decision on their quarterback plans. Coach Mike McDaniel emphasized in his postgame news conference Thursday that Miami's blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills will serve as a "gut check" for the 2024 campaign, arguing the dire straits of Week 2 will either propel or sink what remains of this year's playoff aspirations. Presuming Tagovailoa is sidelined indefinitely, the Dolphins' response may well depend on who's running McDaniel's offense moving forward.

With Tagovailoa, after all, SportsLine had the Dolphins projected to hit nine wins in 2024, with a 50.3% chance of making the playoffs. If he's out for, say, 10 weeks, that projected win total drops to 6.4, and the playoff chances plummet to 8.7%.