Skylar Thompson will likely get an opportunity to redeem himself with Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins aren’t pulling the plug on the franchise’s nearly three-year investment in Skylar Thompson.

While Miami’s coaches acknowledge the third-year quarterback’s performance in last week’s 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks didn’t meet anyone’s expectations — primarily because he didn’t operate Miami’s timing-based offense on schedule — the franchise isn’t ready to move on from the former Kansas State standout being Tua Tagovailoa’s primary backup.

Thompson earned the backup role beating out Mike White during training camp and the exhibition season, and he won’t lose it because of injury. However, the broken ribs he sustained against the Seahawks will likely prevent him from playing for the next few weeks considering he could barely throw the football 15 yards at practice this week.

But based on the tone head coach Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and quarterback coach Darrell Bevell have had about Thompson’s performance in his fourth start, it has been made clear that when he’s healthy enough to play he will likely regain the backup quarterback role.

“He is hard on himself and he’s the first one to tell you there are a couple times he should have let the ball go,” Bevell said of Thompson, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards in three quarters before being replaced by Tim Boyle because of the broken ribs. “There were still some plays to be made, and that’s why we continue to get back in the lab and go evaluate it, practice it and get better.”

According to Miami’s coaches, the offensive struggles against Seattle weren’t entirely on Thompson because there were late calls made into the players, operation issues existed and Miami’s offensive series were stifled by numerous penalties. McDaniel also criticized his playcalling.

“It’s easier to say [it was a] poor result, therefore it is [this]. It’s harder to find reasons why,” Smith said. “Quarterbacks always get the magnifying glass. It is or it isn’t? Right now we can [all] do better as an offense.”

Unfortunately for Thompson, the opportunity he was presented when Tua Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve while his concussion symptoms subside, are the moments when a backup quarterback can make a name for himself, potentially carving out a lengthy career if they succeed.

But if they struggles it can shorten their time in the NFL, and possibly turn them into a quarterback nomad, much like Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, and Tim Boyle, who are competing to become Miami’s starting for the Dolphins’ Monday Night Football’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins haven’t placed Thompson on injured reserve, so the hope is that his ribs heal quickly enough for him to resume his backup duties in the coming weeks. Thompson knows the offense after having spent two previous seasons in it, which means the coaches don’t have to simplify it like they do for Huntley and Boyle, who are in their second and fourth week with the team, respectively.

The Dolphins are searching for a quarterback who can execute the offense as designed, which means throwing the football once their foot completes the movement for the three-, five- or seven-step drop.

Thompson clearly didn’t get that done last week, but it seems as if he will eventually be given an opportunity to redeem himself.