Mac Jones To Dolphins? Tua Tagovailoa Injury Opens Door For Jaguars Trade

The Miami Dolphins endured the ultimate blow during their 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night when starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a frightening concussion in the third quarter, prompting team medical staffers to rush onto the field and assist the 26-year-old's exit.

Miami was left at a standstill momentarily, hit with a déjà vu moment of Tagovailoa's latest concussion concern -- Tagovailoa has dealt with three diagnosed concussions throughout his five NFL seasons. Up to that point in the game with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Tagovailoa had completed 17-of-25 passes with one touchdown and three interceptions, battling to overcome an overall subpar performance against the division rival Bills. Now, after going head-first into Buffalo's Damar Hamlin while rushing to secure a first down for Miami, Tagovailoa's season -- and perhaps career -- has come into question, leaving the Dolphins in a next-man-up state.

"We will bring in someone," Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday, per team-provided video. "We're just evaluating the pros and cons for the different situations and getting through all the possibilities to do the best thing for the team. But as it stands today, I'm expecting that Skylar (Thompson) is the next man up."

Who might that "someone" be? Well, the Dolphins have options and plenty of time left to consider the various avenues to take in order to hold the fort down while Tagovailoa recovers. One proposition Miami could consider is calling up the Jacksonville Jaguars to inquire about quarterback Mac Jones, a three-year veteran with experience competing in the AFC East with the New England Patriots.

Jones departed Foxboro following an ugly third and final campaign alongside former head coach Bill Belichick, finishing dead last at 4-13 in the AFC East. All eyes in New England were directed at the team's draft options after the Patriots lost their way to the third overall pick -- quarterback Drake Maye -- signaling the end of the Jones era. But so far, the breakup hasn't fared poorly for Jones as the 26-year-old, who was failed by New England's crumb-cake offensive line in 2023, logged an impressive preseason by completing 38-of-52 total passes (73.1%) with 421 passing yards and 20 rushing yards along with three touchdowns and zero interceptions with Jacksonville. As encouraging as the preseason sample size was for Jones, especially after throwing a career-low 10 touchdowns last season, the Jaguars still have Trevor Lawrence in the starter's slot.

Lawrence has youth (24), experience and a five-year, $275 million contract working to his advantage and guaranteeing -- pending a worst-case scenario -- the Clemson product as the face of the franchise. Yet, with Jones clawing at repairing his stock value and the sudden need for a go-to field general in Miami, the Dolphins and Jaguars could engage in an early-season trade discussion that could prove beneficial for both sides. It's also worth being mindful of Miami's upcoming Week 5 and Week 12 matchups against the Patriots -- a potential chance at vengeance for Jones if Miami finds a way to pull the trigger successfully and add the former Alabama standout.