When you look at the Miami Dolphins quarterback situation, you don’t immediately think of Skylar Thompson, as this is Tua Tagovailoa’s team. However, you couldn’t tell the full Dolphins’ 2022 season story without mentioning Thompson and his impact on it.
Tua dealt with scary injuries on a couple of occasions last season that saw other quarterbacks having to step up as a result. Thompson was one of those called upon to do so, including in a playoff game against the division-rival Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins went up north to brave the cold and with Thompson at the helm, almost found a way to complete a massive playoff upset that would’ve shocked the NFL world.
As we turn the page to 2023, Thompson has the game experience to build off of and will look to use that opportunity to springboard a nice NFL career for himself. Let’s take a closer look at Thompson ahead of preseason game No. 2.
Who Is Skylar Thompson?
Thompson was born June 4, 1997, in Palmyra, Missouri, where he would grow up and play high school football for Fort Osage High School before staying home in college and attending Kansas State University.
Thompson was a four-year starting quarterback, punter, and kicker at Fort Osage and would be named a four-star recruit by 247 Sports, accepting a full-ride scholarship to Kansas State over offers from Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, North Dakota State, Ohio, Tulsa, UNLV, Wake Forest, and Wyoming.
Skylar Thompson’s Path to the NFL
After playing for Kansas State, Thompson was drafted by the Dolphins with the 247th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. As a rookie in the preseason, Thompson was very impressive, and it caught the eyes of decision-makers in Miami.
Thompson would make the Dolphins’ 53-man roster and saw his first regular-season action in Week 5 after backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater got hurt against the New York Jets. Thompson would come in and complete 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards and an interception in a 40–17 loss.
Thompson would go on and start the following week versus the Minnesota Vikings but would not finish the game after injuring his thumb. He would go on to start one other regular-season game, which took place in Week 18 in the Dolphins’ final matchup with the Jets. This time, Thompson completed 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards in an 11–6 win, clinching the team’s first postseason appearance since 2016.
The season would wrap up the following week for Miami during Wild Card Weekend, where Thompson was tasked with making his third career start in a hostile playoff environment in Buffalo. While the performance didn’t look overly impressive, the team was able to fight and take the Bills to their brink before ultimately falling short.