Zach Wilson was attracted to the Miami Dolphins for many reasons.
“What’s not to like?” he said on Monday. “Extremely explosive offense. They do a great job, and it starts with coach (Mike) McDaniel and goes all the way down. You’ve seen how (Tua Tagovailoa)’s development has gone since he’s been there. I’m just excited to be with those guys.”
When Wilson signed a one-year deal to be Miami’s backup quarterback behind Tagovailoa, he was looking for a chance to show how he’s improved since being benched by the New York Jets in 2023 and maybe earn another starting position.
Wilson, who was the Jets’ No. 2 overall pick in 2021, spent last season as a backup in Denver but didn’t play at all. He used that time to improve his processing and pocket awareness, and now he feels he’s progressing more smoothly through his reads.
He was the Jets’ starter for most of his three seasons in New York but struggled to meet the high expectations placed on him as a top draft pick. His time with the Jets showed flashes of strong arm talent and mobility, but was often overshadowed by poor decision-making.
He went 12-21 as a starter with 6,293 passing yards, 498 rushing yards, a 57% completion rate, and 23 touchdowns. He also threw 25 interceptions.
Wilson admitted that the uncertainty of free agency was tough but ultimately believed the Dolphins would give him the support and chance to prove he can still be a capable NFL starter.
He pointed to Tagovailoa’s growth under McDaniel as another motivating factor.
Tagovailoa’s best seasons came after McDaniel joined the team ahead of the 2022 season. He passed for over 3,500 yards twice, including a league-high 4,624 yards in 2023.
“You’ve seen what the ability to get people that believe in you (can do), and a staff that makes everything else around him better,” Wilson said. “And he’s played at an extremely high level. I don’t think that’s ever anything bad to be around or to see and learn from.”
Zach Wilson (NFL)Wilson said proving himself as a starter starts every day in practice and requires more consistency going forward
When the Jets picked him from BYU, Wilson was expected to be the face of the franchise. He’s athletic and can throw from different angles, but he struggled during his first two years in New York.
The Jets decided to move on from him when they brought in Aaron Rodgers to be their starter in 2023. However, when Rodgers was injured in the season opener, Wilson stepped in as the starter again.
He couldn’t play consistently, showed little growth from his first two seasons, and was benched again.
Even though his career hasn’t started the way he hoped, Wilson wants to be more than just a backup. He still believes he can be a starter with the right chance.
“I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever that opportunity comes,” Wilson said. “And so I just try to put myself in the best situation with the best team and coaches and do the absolute best that I can.”
The Dolphins needed an experienced backup behind Tagovailoa after he missed a career-high six games last season due to injuries. He was placed on injured reserve after his third concussion in two years during a Week 2 game against Buffalo. Later, he missed more games because of a hip injury.
The Dolphins used three backup quarterbacks in 2024 — Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, and Tyler Huntley — with limited success. Huntley started five games for Miami, finishing with a 2-3 record.
General manager Chris Grier said after the season that the team planned to focus on improving the backup quarterback position, both in free agency and the NFL draft.
“It’s a position we do not take lightly,” Grier said in January. “We were working through that the entire offseason, and the fact that some of those guys were willing to come here at what we could pay them shows how they believe in Mike, the staff, and the offensive scheme, and the players that are here.
“That’s a position we will always focus on, and it will be a position that we will focus on this offseason.”
