With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined with a recent concussion, will a healthy Russell Wilson be able to thrive as the Dolphins quarterback?
Coach Rex Ryan hinted at the possibility Monday on ESPN's “Get Up.” Tagovailoa continues to see a specialist after suffering his fourth concussion in Miami's 31-10 loss to Buffalo on Thursday, but no timetable for his return has been set.
“If you were a team that lost a quarterback and you called the Pittsburgh Steelers, would anyone consider trading for Russell Wilson? If your quarterback got injured right now, would you call about Russell Wilson?” Mike Greenberg asked. Ryan replied, “I think he'd be the first guy you'd call.”
Wilson, who left the Broncos after two seasons and joined the Steelers in March, has missed the past two games with a lingering calf injury.
Backup quarterback Justin Fields then led the Steelers to two straight wins. Questions arise Will the former first-round draft pick continue as a starter?
Ryan then hinted at a potential asking price for a proven veteran like Wilson, who has 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023.
“That's what you're asking for: a first-round pick,” Ryan said. “… Why would Pittsburgh trade him? They're not going to trade him unless it's a first-round pick, because their situation is good. Everybody knows you need two quarterbacks in this league. But I tell you, you've seen it. What's the price of a starting quarterback in this league? It's a first-round pick. So the only way they're going to make a move for Russell Wilson is if they're a team that lost their starting quarterback and they think they're a team that can win the playoffs.”
The Dolphins came in last year after finishing the regular season 11-6 and reaching the wild-card round, and Ryan suggested South Beach has a “good chance of making the playoffs.”
“I don't know exactly what will happen with Tua, but it certainly seems like a possibility for a team that needs to make a move for a quarterback,” Greenberg said.
The Dolphins have insurance in former seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson, who replaced the injured Tagovailoa in Week 2, and former Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley, who joined the team on Monday.
The 26-year-old Tagovailoa was injured just two games into his four-year, $212.4 million contract extension when he bowed his head while charging for a first down.
Despite calls from former NFL players for Tagovailoa to retire, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Tagovailoa has “no plans” to retire.
