Vikings vs. Dolphins NFL Week 6 odds shift: Seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson set to start at quarterback for Miami

Last week, wo rookie quarterbacks made their first NFL starts: Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, a first-round pick, and New England's Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick. The Steelers were clobbered and the Patriots won easily. It's not often you see a see a seventh-round rookie get a start at QB, but that apparently will be the case Sunday for the Miami Dolphins as former Kansas State star Skylar Thompson will get the call against the visiting Minnesota Vikings, who have moved from -3 to -3.5 (-4 at a few books) and the total from 46 to 45.5 points.

To no surprise, top Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss another week with concussion issues. Coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa will return to practice today but will not be active.

"He hasn't done a thing on the football field for literally two weeks," McDaniel said of playing Tua in Week 6. "So, I don't think that that would be fair to the player. That wouldn't be fair to the team... I don't feel comfortable putting him in that situation."

Veteran Teddy Bridgewater started in Tua's place last Sunday at the Jets but left himself with a possible concussion. Even though Bridgewater might be out of the protocol by the end of the week, the Miami Herald is reporting that he would only serve as the backup to Thompson.

Bridgewater will be in attendance for today's practice, but he won't be partaking in any football activities and will do only light aerobic work. The Dolphins' only other healthy quarterback is practice squad QB Reid Sinnett, but McDaniel said it is too early to tell whether they'll have to elevate him for Sunday's game.

Thompson played in 45 games at Kansas State and started 40 over parts of five seasons. He is the only player in school history to amass both 6,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. Thompson holds the school record for lowest interception percentage (1.81) and is second in total offensive yards (8,221) and third in touchdowns responsible for (68).

There's a reason he was a seventh-round pick, though. Thompson was not great last week in relief of Bridgewater vs. the Jets, completing 19 of 33 for 166 yards, a pick and two sacks taken. He also lost a fumble that set up the Jets' game-sealing touchdown. Thompson did play excellently during the preseason.

When asked about going with Thompson over a cleared Bridgewater, McDaniel said he did not view Thompson as a "run-of-the-mill rookie." He's definitely an older rookie at age 25. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Thompson to finish 13-for-24 for 145 yards, 0.72 TDs and 0.69 picks on Sunday. 

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