Tua Tagovailoa has all the support he needs from the Miami Dolphins and Mike McDaniel heading into the 2025 NFL season. His new backup, Zach Wilson, is also giving the starting quarterback reasons for optimism.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Dolphins in free agency after spending last year with the Denver Broncos, looks excited about playing in Miami, promising Tagovailoa and McDaniel that he’ll prove to be the perfect fit for the role.
“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,” Wilson said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I think it couldn’t have been a better match.”
Tagovailoa’s injury history makes Dolphins QB2 a job to watch
Wilson, who turns 26 in November, is an intriguing addition for the Dolphins, who could use a reliable backup in case something happens with Tagovailoa again. Given Tua’s injury history, QB2 is a very important position in South Florida.
The Alabama Crimson Tide product, who suffered a serious knee injury in college, has dealt with concussions throughout his NFL career. After a healthy 2023 season, the problems that haunted him in 2022 came back in 2024.
A scary head injury in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills forced Tagovailoa to miss four games early in the campaign. He managed to come back from injured reserve after clearing the concussion protocol, but a hip injury ended up ruling him out for two more games.
McDaniel, Dolphins want to avoid last year’s mistake
This situation exposed the Dolphins’ lack of insurance behind Tua in 2024, with neither Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, and Tyler Huntley proving to be reliable alternatives for McDaniel.
Miami doesn’t want to make the same mistake than last year, hoping that Wilson becomes a dependable option in the QB room. While landing a veteran player would’ve also made sense, the Fins get in Wilson a young signal-caller who still has room for development.
A great chance for Wilson
A second-round pick out of BYU in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson fell short of expectations during his three-year stint with the New York Jets, who went 12-21 with him under center. In 33 starts, Wilson completed 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Last season, he worked behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham in the Mile High City. Therefore, the opportunity to have only Tagovailoa above him on the Dolphins’ depth chart could be exactly what he needs to get his NFL career back on track. Wilson looks confident, but only time will tell us if he proves Miami right.