MIAMI GARDENS, Florida – The Miami Dolphins sign backup quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Ravens’ practice squad as Tua Tagovailoa continues to be sidelined with the third diagnosed concussion of his professional career.

Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the transfer, which NFL Network first reported on Monday, and said Huntley is being signed as a backup behind current No. 2 quarterback Skylar Thompson.

Tagovailoa remains on the NFL’s concussion protocol following last Thursday’s loss to Buffalo. McDaniel said there isn’t enough information yet to know if Tagovailoa will be placed on the injured list.

“That will be determined by medical experts,” McDaniel said, “and when we get the appropriate information and talk to Tua about it, Chris (general manager Chris Grier) and I can discuss it. I’m not quite ready to make a distinction on that yet.”

Huntley, known by the nickname “Snoop,” signed with the Browns as a free agent in March but was released in August as part of roster cuts. The Ravens then brought him back for a second stint.

Huntley was one of several experienced quarterbacks available to the Dolphins after Tagovailoa’s head injury.

Tagovailoa was injured on a play in which he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. He ran for a first down and then initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

Players from both teams immediately signaled that Tagovailoa was injured, and as he lay on the turf, the quarterback displayed some of the typical symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. He remained on the field for a few minutes, then got up after the third quarter and walked to the sideline.

Thompson replaced Tagovailoa in the game, but McDaniel said the next day that Miami planned to sign another quarterback.

The coach declined to speculate on what the recent head injury means for Tagovailoa’s future – he has been diagnosed with two concussions in 2022 and one while at Alabama – and McDaniel has repeatedly said he wants to stay out of any decisions Tagovailoa makes about his career amid reports he has no plans to retire. Tagovailoa is currently consulting with neurologists about his health.

“As far as Tua’s career goes, I think my number one priority is for Tua to talk about Tua’s career,” McDaniel said. “Reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just concerned about the guy and how he’s doing day to day. I’ll let Tua be the master of his own career.”

Thompson will likely be the starter when Miami travels to Seattle on Sunday, and McDaniel said the Huntley signing doesn’t affect the team’s confidence in Thompson. However, Huntley gives the Dolphins another option with experience.

Huntley went undrafted in 2020 before signing with the Ravens. The South Florida native filled in for the injured Lamar Jackson in 2021 and 2022 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022. He went 3-7 in 10 starts with the Ravens, has 1,957 career passing yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions and a completion rate of 64.6.

“It was obvious from a distance,” McDaniel said, “and then some coaches who knew him made him the MVP of the league. You could tell from a distance that he was a guy that the team absolutely believed could lead them to victory. I think that’s definitely a very big, tangible thing for a non-QB1.”

McDaniel said he remains confident in Thompson’s ability to win games, even though the quarterback struggled in Tagovailoa’s place on Thursday, completing 8 of 14 passes for 80 yards.

“I think his game has evolved since he had a chance to be in the starting lineup in the National Football League,” McDaniel said of Thompson, who started several games as a rookie in 2022 when Tagovailoa was injured. “I think all of his teammates can feel his composure and his development, and I think he made some winning plays as a rookie.”

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