The Miami Dolphins were hopeful that backup quarterback Tyler Huntley would show improvement between his first and second starts for the team.
Although Huntley’s performance statistics and a narrow win against the struggling New England Patriots suggest only slight progress, he hasn’t yet developed enough in the offense to reassure Dolphins fans, who were thinking Super Bowl aspirations at the start of the season.
Miami heads into its bye week after a close 15-10 victory in Foxborough, which provides Huntley additional time to familiarize himself with the team’s offensive system and learn to utilize the speed of his teammates to their advantage. The break also allows quarterback Tua Tagovailoa more time to recover from his third confirmed concussion, which he suffered in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
While the Dolphins’ situation has improved since they were handed a heavy defeat at home by the Tennessee Titans and their backup quarterback, Mason Rudolph, it is still a far cry from the dominant form of the Mike McDaniel-led offense last season, when the team’s potential seemed limitless.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 5, the Dolphins have about four weeks to assess Tagovailoa’s health and consider whether they need to trade for a more reliable quarterback than Huntley in case Tagovailoa’s recovery hits any setbacks or he suffers another injury when he returns.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin suggested on October 8 that Miami might look into trading for Trey Lance, the backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and a former No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft.
“While Tua Tagovailoa may return, it’s risky to assume he’ll stay healthy,” Benjamin noted. “Coach Mike McDaniel was involved with the San Francisco 49ers when they drafted Lance, who has great potential but is still developing.”
Lance’s career in San Francisco never took off, as he spent most of his rookie year behind Jimmy Garoppolo and only started two games in his second year before suffering a broken ankle. After Garoppolo also got injured, Brock Purdy took over and led the 49ers to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl appearance. Lance eventually ended up in Dallas in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.
At just 24 years old and on the final year of his rookie contract worth $34 million, Lance’s financial impact on a team would be minimal, with a base salary slightly above $1 million this season. His trade value is likely lower than the fourth-round pick Dallas spent to acquire him.
Although trading for Lance might not be a perfect solution for the Dolphins, it could still be a smart move to acquire a young quarterback with potential who was once highly regarded by a successful team like the 49ers.
So far in his career, Lance has accumulated 797 passing yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions, along with 235 rushing yards and one touchdown, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
