Growing up as a Miami Dolphins fan in the post Dan Marino era has been rough to say the least. Since Marino retired after the 1999 season the Dolphins have started 26 different players at quarterback. The names range from Jay Fielder, a serviceable replacement to Cleo Lemon, a desperate stop gap during a 1-15 season. I’ve talked myself into believing in most of them at one time or another.
I’ll never forget believing that Sage Rosenfels could be the guy after he replaced a concussed Gus Ferotte against the Bills in 2005, the game seemed out of reach with the Dolphins trailing 23-3 in the fourth quarter. Then Rosenfels led the team on 3 touchdown drives making the final score a 24-23 Dolphins victory. Ultimately Rosenfels returned to the bench and wouldn’t be the second coming regardless of how much I believed in him.
That in a nutshell is what being a Dolphins fan is all about, convincing yourself that Josh Rosen, John Beck, Ryan Tannehill will finally be the one to bring stability and production to the position then being let down every time.
Fortunately, I believe that Tua Tagovailoa has proven to be the guy. He’s not Dan Marino, that’s an impossible standard, but he has proven to be consistently productive when healthy. He led the league in passer rating in 2022, passing yards in 2023, and completion percentage in 2024. A player isn’t going to accomplish that by accident; he’s a bonafide reliable starter when he’s on the field.
Therein lies the rub, he’s inconsistent when it comes to being on the field. He’s only played a complete season one time in his 5-year career. Last season he missed 6 games which forced Miami to rely on Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley to lead the team in their push for the playoffs. That went poorly, and the Dolphins finished under .500 for the first time in the Mike McDaniel era.
The worry surrounding Tua’s availability has forced Dolphin fans to talk themselves not only into a starting quarterback but now backups. I wrote a blog calling for Miami to sign Mac Jones earlier in free agency, but instead, they went with another former AFC East quarterback, Zach Wilson. Wilson was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to the New York Jets; he has posted a career record of 12-21 with 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions. For a starter, these numbers are pedestrian; for a top 5 pick, they’re nearly unimaginably bad.
For a backup, however…
What gives me the most hope for Wilson’s success has very little to do with him as a player, instead I’m intrigued by the success of Geno Smith and Sam Darnold. Both Smith and Darnold were once starting quarterbacks for the New York Jets; both crumbled under the scrutiny of the media and the ineptitude of the organization. However, they’ve since thrived in new locations. Smith has resurrected his career and established himself as a solid veteran quarterback. Darnold was in contention for comeback player of the year last season after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record and the playoffs.
There is no question that Zach Wilson is psychically gifted. His athleticism is what made him a top 5 pick to begin with. It’s easy to see why Mike McDaniel would take a flyer on Wilson given his innate talent. In an interview on the Miami Dolphins youtube channel Wilson was asked about what drew him to Miami, here was his answer.
“I think it was a great fit with Coach McDaniel and Coach [Bevell] as the quarterback coach, I think it’s going to be a great fit with what I’m looking for, the type of offense the amount of information I’ll be able to learn from these guys, it couldn’t have been a better match.”
I agree with Wilson, if anyone has the opportunity to unlock his potential it is McDaniel. If you need convincing, look no further than what he’s managed to do for Tua since he arrived in South Beach. Lest we forget there was heavy doubt about Tua’s place in the league following the Brian Flores years and while some fans still have those doubts they can’t deny that his play has improved immensely under McDaniel’s tutelage.
I’ll conclude this blog with Wilson’s answer to the question about what the Miami Dolphins are getting with him.
“Somebody willing to come to work every single day, take advantage of the opportunity, and go out there and be my best self and let it fly.”
For more sports opinions, you can follow me on Youtube @WickedGoodSports and X @TheFakeBMarr
