The Miami Dolphins‘ QB room continues to be shaken up as the offseason continues.
The move that flew under the radar earlier this week was Miami’s choice to cut Mark Gronowski from the practice squad.
Gronowski isn’t a Gronkowski brother, no, but he is the winningest quarterback in college football history.
The Dolphins brought in Malik Willis as their starter this offseason, and that has been set in stone from the moment he signed his contract. Beyond that, though, the depth chart is moving all over the place.
Why Did The Dolphins Cut Mark Gronowski?
The simple explanation here is that Gronowski simply wasn’t ready to be an NFL quarterback, which isn’t totally shocking despite his college pedigree.
Gronowski did the majority of his winning at the FCS level with South Dakota State.
For the 2025 season, he transferred to Iowa, where he was more of a bruising, running-style QB rather than a prolific passer.
He did complete 63.4% of his passes for the Hawkeyes, with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but he averaged just 133.9 passing yards per game.
Gronowski’s biggest contribution came running the football for Iowa, with 130 carries for 545 yards (4.2 yards per rush) with 16 rushing touchdowns. He also caught a five-yard TD.
There’s actually a case to be made that he could fill a Taysom Hill-like role in the NFL, but that’s a comparison that a number of players have gotten in recent years, and none of them are actually Hill, so no one else has pulled it off.
This preseason, Gronowski didn’t get a ton of chances to show what he could do. He completed 6-of-13 passes (46.2%) for 98 yards, with a long completion of 33 yards, while taking three sacks. He also ran six times for 37 yards (6.2 yards per carry).
Part of the reason Miami cut Gronowski was to make room for other signings to their practice squad, including former first-round picks Clelin Ferrell and Mazi Smith.
Gronowski had to know as an undrafted player that his path to sticking in the NFL would be tough, and it is now even tougher.
Miami Dolphins QB Depth Chart
The aforementioned Willis is the clear QB1 in Miami.
The Dolphins recently pulled off a trade with the Packers for Kyle McCord, who is the favorite for the No. 2 quarterback gig.
They also picked up Brady Cook, who was cut by the Jets. Cook can also be in the running to be the backup, and it seems likely both he and McCord will be kept around at least in the early part of the season while the Dolphins see what both can bring to the table.
Gronowski would’ve been no more than the No. 3 QB this season, at best, and practice squad seemed the more likely destination. If he’s on a practice squad, at least at the moment, it’ll be for a team other than the Dolphins.
Dolphins Part Ways With Winningest QB in College Football History