The Miami Dolphins have turned the starting quarterback role over to rookie Quinn Ewers heading into week 16 of the NFL season. Tua Tagovailoa has been benched in lieu of the rookie, though the third member of the Dolphins’ QB room isn’t happy with the decision.
Zach Wilson, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, was passed over in the decision to promote Ewers to starter. Wilson has been QB2 on the depth chart for the entirety of the season, and has taken snaps in garbage time of three games this season.
Believing he should have been the choice to start the final three games, Wilson expressed his frustration with the decision.
Dolphins reporter Barry Jackson posted on X, “Zach Wilson says it’s frustrating that he didn’t get starting job and he’s a little ‘confused’ why, but will be a good teammate and do what’s asked of him.”
Why Wilson Was Passed Over For The Role
I don’t think it needs much explaining, but I’ll do so anyway.
First and foremost, the Dolphins are looking to build towards next season, and giving Ewers his shot on the field makes the most sense. Wilson already flamed out in New York; not to say he couldn’t find success elsewhere, but there’s already tape on what he brings to the table. He was more of a stop-gap acquisition for the Dolphins.
The second point is Wilson’s career stats, which are extraordinarily bad. In his three seasons with the Jets, Wilson threw more interceptions than touchdowns, a 23-25 TD/Int ratio in 34 games. His QBR’s from 2021-2023 were, in order, 33.4, 38.5, and 31.3. He was sacked on over 10 percent of plays he ran and had a completion percentage of 57.1.
I’ll grant him this: he played for the Jets, which is where quarterbacks notoriously have little to no success. He has talent for sure, but this isn’t the time to let him play for Miami, who has already been eliminated from playoffs.
If they were trying to win games and Tagovailoa was hurt, then maybe Wilson would be the better option, seeing as he has experience in the NFL. But this three game stretch is effectively a tryout for Ewers, so that Miami can see if they have anything with him to build around next season.
Tagovailoa Could Be Done in Miami
Yes, Tua Tagovailoa has three more years left on his deal as a Dolphin, but his six years with the team haven’t bene accompanied by success. He’s had flashes of excellence, but also had more flashes of relative incompetence, through both his turnover problems and his inability to avoid taking dangerous hits.
If Ewers shows the Dolphins something, maybe it’s time to restart the process of building the franchise back up. Even at his best, Tagovailoa hasn’t shown any signs that he is a quarterback that can lead the team to any type of sustained success.
Ewers will make his NFL debut this weekend in Miami as the Dolphins host the Cincinnati Bengals.
Zach Wilson Makes Blunt Statement Dolphins QB Decision