Kelly: What would a Dolphins season without Tua Tagovailoa look like? | Opinion

The second Tua Tagovailoa’s helmet collided with Damar Hamlin’s body, rattling his cranium and buckling his torso at the conclusion of a fourth-down conversion in the red zone, it became open season on every decision the Miami Dolphins organization had made for months.

And hell, maybe the past five years.

As Tagovailoa’s body laid limp on the Hard Rock Stadium field midway through the third quarter of Miami’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, it became safe to wonder why the Dolphins built its franchise’s hopes and dreams around an injury-prone quarterback, one who Thursday night sustained his third — and maybe his fourth — concussion since the 2022 season.

And that wasn’t where the second-guessing stopped.

Was signing Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212 million contract a wise move for owner Steve Ross considering the former Alabama standout had only spent one full season — last year — healthy in the NFL?

Was Tagovailoa’s decision to lose weight with the intention of becoming a more mobile quarterback, a better scrambler, the right approach for a player with a reputation for being fragile?

It was a 6-yard run that got Tagovailoa knocked out cold, and had his right hand going into the “fencing response,” which he similarly showed after the frightening concussion he suffered during the 2022 “Thursday Night Football” loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Most skeptics believe that was actually the second concussion Tagovailoa sustained considering the four-year starter was rocked the previous week in the lone win he has ever managed against the Bills, which built a 31-10 lead Thursday courtesy of the three interceptions Tagovailoa threw, the last of which was returned 31-yards for a touchdown by Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram.

“It was unfortunate to see. Unfortunate to watch. At that point I didn’t care about football,” tight end Jonnu Smith said addressing the scene of Tagovailoa’s injury. “I know Tua is a fighter. Whatever he’s dealing with, I’m sure he’ll bounce back from it.”

Outside of Tagovailoa’s health, which will be thoroughly examined, debated and discussed within the organization this week, the biggest concern moving forward is what happens to the team being forced to play on without their leader, a man who walked around the locker room after the game encouraging his teammates and reassuring them that he’ll be fine.

“I told the team this hurts for a reason,” head coach Mike McDaniel said. “You can turn the page and know what’s going to be said about us.... We’ll have plenty of opportunities to take the sheer frustration and anger out on the way we do our jobs.”

McDaniel’s job starts with making sound decisions for his team.

Was cutting veteran Mike White, who ironically stood on the other sideline as a member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad, and elevating Skylar Thompson to the No. 2 quarterback role, the right decision now that it appears Miami will spend weeks without its Pro Bowl quarterback, who must pass the NFL’s three-pronged concussion protocol to return to practice, and to the games?

“This is my third year and I’ve gotten some really good experience, especially my first year,” said Thompson, who completed 8 of 14 passes, throwing for 80 yards and scrambling for another 4 yards as Tagovailoa’s replacement for a quarter and a half. “I kept working and trying to get better, just preparing for opportunities. What lies ahead? Who knows.”

Was signing Tim Boyle to serve as the No. 3 quarterback three weeks ago the right move for this roster-building considering the fifth-year veteran, who owns a 0-5 record as an NFL starter, will now be leaned on to serve as Thompson’s backup for however long Tagovailoa is sidelined.

Or should Miami be giving Ryan Tannehill a call, trying to convince the 11-year veteran to come out of retirement to play for his old franchise?

How about Teddy Bridgewater, the first-year head coach of the Miami Northwestern Bulls, who spent the 2022 season as Tagovailoa’s backup, playing ahead of Thompson before injuries derailed his season?

Bridgewater’s high school players would likely forgive him for abandoning them to lead South Florida’s NFL team.

Desperate times call for desperate thoughts, and Dolphins are there now.

At this point, everything is fair game because Tagovailoa’s concussion likely silences the Dolphins’ Super Bowl talk if he’s sidelined for an extended period.

Right now, Miami’s focus needs to be on figuring out how to salvage this season, keeping it from being knocked out like Tagovailoa.