Out of the teams with a franchise quarterback, there are few — if any — that need a reliable backup more than the Miami Dolphins.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has played every game in the regular season just once in his five-year career. The former Alabama quarterback led the Dolphins to double-digit wins in 2023. He finished that season with a league-high 4,624 passing yards to go along with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The career-best campaign earned Tagovailoa a Pro Bowl nod and led to a massive contract extension last offseason, but injuries once again hampered the quarterback in 2024.
Since head coach Mike McDaniel was hired three years ago, Miami has only mustered a 3-8 record in games without Tagovailoa. While the 26-year-old has suffered a slew of injuries over his career, none have been as concerning or frightening as his concussions. He missed five games in 2022 with two separate concussions. In 2024, he missed six games with a concussion and hip injury.
It’s no secret that the Dolphins need to ensure that they have a viable alternative on the roster, and they didn’t waste much time before bolstering their quarterback room in free agency this offseason.
Zach Wilson could have an opportunity for revenge against the Jets
The Dolphins signed quarterback Zach Wilson to a fully guaranteed one-year, $6 million contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday.
Wilson will return to the AFC East, where he began his career. An injury to Tagovailoa could provide the 25-year-old quarterback with an opportunity for revenge against the New York Jets.
The Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after a viral throw at his Pro Day boosted his draft stock. It didn’t take long for New York to regret the pick. Unsurprisingly, the Jets realized that spectacular throws don’t mean much when it comes to finding success in the NFL.
Wilson wasn’t ready for the professional level, and the Jets organization was far from being equipped to develop a struggling player. In 2022, Wilson began the season as the starter, got benched after struggling and then got the starting role back to end the season. The Jets tried to replace him with Aaron Rodgers in 2023, but an injury forced Wilson back into the lineup after just four offensive snaps. The season was effectively the same: Wilson was named the starter, got benched, then became the starter again.
Much like any other Jets quarterback, Wilson floundered and was ultimately traded to the Denver Broncos prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. Although Wilson didn’t see any playing time as the third-string quarterback in Denver, the 2024 season provided him a much-needed season to develop under the tutelage of Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
While it’s difficult to expect much out of Wilson, he wouldn’t be the first Jets quarterback to recover and revitalize his career elsewhere. Geno Smith managed to undo the Jets’ damage and thrived with the Seattle Seahawks. Sam Darnold spent a year as the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers before leading the Minnesota Vikings to a successful 2024 season.
In 34 career games, Wilson completed 57 percent of his passes for 6,293 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He added 498 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. Wilson has a 12-21 record (.363) as a starter, but it’s not clear how much of the blame he deserves for New York’s collective dysfunction.