The Miami Dolphins' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night couldn't have been more costly. Miami's quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down late in the third quarter with a concussion and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the game. Considering the NFL's concussion protocol and Tagovailoa's unfortunate history with head injuries, there is a strong chance he will be sidelined for an extended period of time.

These are always challenging times for NFL teams, especially for ones with championship aspirations.

The Dolphins currently have Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle on the roster, but neither has the starting accolades for a team looking to make a run at a title. Third-year quarterback Thompson is currently the next man up on the roster, the question is how confident and patient the Dolphins will be with their former seventh-round pick.

In the event the Dolphins search for a short-term fix with Tagovailoa sideline, they have some options:

Ryan Tannehill

Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill will likely be one of the most popular names right away for the team to sign. Tannehill, 36, was selected No. 8 overall by the Dolphins in the 2012 NFL draft and earned the starting job immediately. In six seasons in Miami and 88 starts, he had a record of 42-46.

Since departing the Dolphins, Tannehill spent five years with the Tennessee Titans where he earned some playoff experience and helped lead a 9-7 Wild Card team to the AFC Championship game in January 2020. That Titans team had to win road playoff games in New England and Baltimore, something this current Dolphins team has been criticized for not being able to do. Eventually, though, Tannehill and the Titans fell short in the AFC Championship to the Kansas City Chiefs who went on to win the Super Bowl.

Tannehill was unable to get the Titans back to that point and the last two years were a significant step backwards for the quarterback. The Titans moved on to Will Levis as their new franchise QB and Tannehill is currently sitting on the free agent market unsigned.

Not only is Tannehill's familiarity with the organization a plus, but he's also undoubtedly the best free agent option available at quarterback. Tannehill's name has already been swirling as a potential signing for the Green Bay Packers following the knee injury to their QB Jordan Love. A reunion in Miami would be a very interesting storyline if Tannehill was given a chance to finish what he started more than a decade ago with the team.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Without many free agent quarterbacks with starting experience, the Dolphins could seek a veteran passer in a trade. One of the most obvious choices is Jimmy Garoppolo, who coach Mike McDaniel is familiar with from his time in San Francisco on Kyle Shanahan's staff. Those 49ers offenses had plenty of similarities to the Dolphins' current scheme with quick reads and a good running game.

Garoppolo began his career on the Patriots behind Tom Brady and was eventually traded in the middle of his fourth season to the 49ers where he built his résumé as a starting quarterback.

Garoppolo accumulated a winning, 43-20 record in his career with a 4-2 record as a starter in playoff games. He even started Super Bowl LIV in February 2020 with both McDaniel and Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert also on the 49ers sideline.

The quarterback hasn't found a consistent starting situation since his time in San Francisco ended after Brock Purdy took over, though. He began last season starting for the Las Vegas Raiders but was benched midway through the season in favor of Aidan O'Connell. Garoppolo is currently on the Los Angeles Rams roster behind Matthew Stafford and possibly Stetson Bennett, as well.

The stock on Garoppolo has dropped significantly around the league, which should make him acquirable. However, his ceiling might be lower than some of the other names on this list due to his injury history and lack of recent production.

If brought to the Dolphins, his role will probably be very similar to the one he played in San Francisco. Getting the ball out quick to a first or second read is a staple of this Dolphins offense, and Garoppolo is familiar with the style of play. McDaniel has been known to target players he's formerly worked with including Mostert and running back Jeff Wilson Jr.

Joe Flacco

Former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco has managed to remain a relevant commodity in the NFL at 39 years old. Flacco was selected No. 18 overall in the 2008 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens and was thrust into the starting role Week 1.

His career began with immediate playoff success with a trip to the AFC title game in his rookie season as a Wild Card team. Flacco built a reputation for turning his play up a notch come playoff time, posting an 10-5 playoff record in 11 years as the Ravens quarterback. His statistics tended to improve come playoff time.

What's even more impressive about Flacco's playoff success in Baltmore is the AFC was loaded at the time with legendary quarterbacks including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Rothlisberger. In fact, Flacco is the only AFC quarterback between the 2003-2019 seasons to make the Super Bowl besides that trio.

Flacco showed last season he can still play at a high level. After going through multiple quarterbacks, a competitive Cleveland Browns team with playoff aspirations signed Flacco to their practice squad and eventually started him in the final five games of the regular season. Flacco led the Browns on a four-game winning streak to end the regular season and helped them secure the top wild card slot in the AFC. While the Browns were dominated by the Houston Texans in the first round of the playoffs, Flacco was easily one of the most intriguing stories during the second half of last season and received NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors for it.

Flacco now finds himself in a backup role on the Indianapolis Colts behind second-year pro Anthony Richardson. The Dolphins' ability to acquire Flacco would depend on how much the Colts value him as their backup. Richardson came into this season coming off a shoulder injury that ended his rookie campaign. The Colts also have Sam Ehlinger on their roster as a third-string quarterback, but the signing of Flacco suggests they wanted a better second option behind Richardson.

If the Dolphins are able to trade for him, they will be gaining an experienced strong-armed quarterback who showed he's still capable of winning games.

Carson Wentz

The former No. 2 overall pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL draft is another backup quarterback with a long history of starting experience. Wentz, 31, is currently the backup to Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, his fifth team in as many years.

Wentz's best season, by far, is his second campaign with the Eagles during the 2017 season. He started 13 games, passing for 3,286 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. The Eagles held a record of 11-2 with Wentz as one of the top candidates for league MVP until an ACL tear ended his season. The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl after Nick Foles took over at quarterback.

While Wentz eventually regained the starting job, he wasn't able to repeat the same success and was eventually traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 when Jalen Hurts emerged as the Eagles' new starter.

Wentz had a solid bounce back year in Indianapolis with 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. However, a season finale disaster led the Colts to trade Wentz to the Washington Commanders the following season. Wentz has since bounced around the league where starting opportunities have been few and far between.

The Dolphins would be an ideal landing spot for Wentz to earn starts once again.

Drew Lock

A former second-round selection for the Denver Broncos, Lock is an under-the-radar option for the Dolphins. Lock spent his first three years with the Broncos before being included in a blockbuster trade to Seattle that involved quarterback Russell Wilson.

After losing the competition for the starting job in Seattle to Geno Smith, Lock is now currently backing up Daniel Jones on the New York Giants. The Giants were demolished in Week 1 by the Minnesota Vikings 28-6 as Jones struggled mightily. Despite harsh criticism aimed at Jones, the Giants have shown no real intention to move on from him, meaning Lock could still be an expendable piece for them.

Lock probably won't be one of the first names the Dolphins inquire about, but he might not be a difficult player to acquire considering the lackluster situation the Giants find themselves in as a franchise. Unless things drastically turn around in the next two weeks, the Giants a probably looking at another lost season, making draft picks more important than backup quarterback depth.

Lock, 27, hasn't been given a true opportunity as starting quarterback since his time with the Broncos. This Dolphins job could be the break he's been waiting for if the stars align and a deal is made to bring him to South Beach.

Tom Brady

It's an absolute long shot scenario that probably wouldn't happen, but why not dream a little?

Could the Dolphins talk the GOAT out of retirement at 47 years old? Brady has only been out of football for one whole season now and hasn't ruled out the possibility of unretiring one more time, if the right situation arose. Earlier this year on the Deep Cut Podcast, Brady said he's "not opposed" to picking up the phone if he got a call.

"I'm always going to be in good shape, always going to be able to throw the ball," Brady said.

Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion, six with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers. It's more Super Bowl titles than any single franchise owns across the NFL. He also holds the NFL's all-time passing yards and touchdowns record. He's a true legend of the game who dominated the AFC East division for nearly two decades.

The Dolphins have been a team linked to Brady in recent years. Miami was even stripped of a first-round pick in 2023 following a tampering investigation.

If the very slim chance Brady would pick up the phone, the Dolphins certainly have the receiving targets and running game to be an attractive option. However, the questions surrounding the Dolphins offensive line would probably not be a good fit for Brady, and his nearly finalized ownership stake of the Los Vegas Raiders mean a playing career probably can't happen.

Brady made his debut as a commentator for FOX last Sunday during the Dallas Cowboys' 33-17 win against the Cleveland Browns. It's far more likely that he will remain in that role for the forseeable future.

QB Skylar Thompson

It's not going to get Dolphins fans excited, but sticking with Thompson is a viable option for the team -- especially if Tagovailoa is only temporarily out of action.

Thompson hasn't started a regular season game since his rookie year and has spent a lot of time learning how to run Mike McDaniel's offense. Barring a sudden change, it seems that he'll get a chance to show the growth he's made as a player when the Dolphins play the Seahawks in Week 3.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 7 quarterback options for the Dolphins if Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined