Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel ruled out quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for Sunday’s wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills.

#Dolphins say Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to return yet and is OUT for Sunday vs. Buffalo.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 11, 2023

McDaniel said Wednesday that Tagovailoa still hasn’t been cleared to resume football activities. The signal-caller entered concussion protocol Dec. 26 after suffering a concussion against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 25. McDaniel also said Teddy Bridgewater won’t be able to practice much, if at all, this week.

The plan is for Skylar Thompson to start the game, while Bridgewater would be used on an as-needed basis. Thompson has made seven appearances, including two starts, due to injuries to Tagovailoa and Bridgewater. The 2022 seventh-rounder has completed 57.1% of his passes for 534 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Thompson was a drafted in the seventh round by the Dolphins out of Kansas State to be the third string quarterback.

He has not really shown the skills to become a starting quarterback in the NFL just yet. He faces a tough task against the divisional rival Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins are also playing on the road so it will be difficult to get a win in that environment.

Thompson does have one of the nest wide receiver duos in the NFL in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Throwing it to those guys will be key to his success. He also likes to look at tight end Mike Gesicki’s way more often than Tua. Gesicki is just another weapon the Dolphins need to use more if the Bills decide to game-plan against Hill and Waddle.

Miami and Buffalo split their regular-season match-ups this season. The Dolphins won 21-19 in Week 2, while the Bills prevailed 32-29 in Week 15. Buffalo is a whopping 13 point favorite against Miami according to NFL betting sites. This line indicates that Thompson will be the projected starter.