Skylar Thompson enters his third season learning Mike McDaniel’s offensive system.
The Miami Dolphins entered the 2024 season with offensive continuity as one of the team’s greatest strengths. Having punched a ticket to the playoffs in back-to-back years, the Dolphins started the new year with the same head coach and offensive coaching staff for the third straight season.
Skylar Thompson, drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, was thrust into action during his rookie season, playing in seven games and completing 60 of 105 pass attempts for 534 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Although Thompson didn’t see the field last season, he continued working and earned the trust of the coaching staff, beating out Mike White for the backup quarterback role.
“I just think his really understanding of himself, how he needs to play to be successful and knowing his teammates, knowing how to communicate to them and reach them, I just think overall you grow,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said on Thursday. “The hardest year as an NFL player is your rookie year. Same thing as when you’re a freshman in college; you don’t know where anything is or where I need to go.
“Each year, things start to make a lot more sense and I think that’s been Skylar [Thompson]. He had a great camp and really excited for this Sunday for him and all the guys to get out there and play.”
The Dolphins added former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley to the active roster, but with Thompson now in his third season under McDaniel’s system, he’s expected to start until franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is ready to return. Miami’s offense, which led the league with 5.1 yards per carry last season, still boasts explosive weapons in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to help power the unit through the air.
While Tagovailoa remains the ideal fit for McDaniel’s offense, Thompson — now with two-plus years of experience under his belt — is tasked with keeping the offense steady in his absence.
“I think every week, that’s your goal as a coach is you try and put your players in the best position possible to execute a gameplan to be successful,” Smith said. “Each week, the opponent is going to give you certain areas that you want to attack, so our job each week is just to take what is the defense, how do they operate, how do we use our players to attack their defense and then put them in positions to be successful.
“So I think ultimately every week that’s what we do, regardless of the quarterback. I think it’s everyone – where tight ends are, where halfbacks are, where the receivers are, what are we doing with the o-line. I think every week that’s our challenge to do that.”
