Finding a franchise quarterback is key to Miami Dolphins sustainability

The Miami Dolphins may or may not have their franchise quarterback in Josh Rosen but they really need him to become that guy.

Sustainable success in the NFL is not easy to find but it starts and ends with who is behind the center for every NFL team and a reason why the Miami Dolphins have been bad for so long.

In today’s NFL a franchise quarterback will not just win games for a team it can cement the position for 15 or 20 years. The NFL has long abandoned the days of old when quarterbacks could get hit and get hit hard. You can no longer hit a quarterback high and you can’t hit them below the waist. The league is protecting that position and as a result, quarterbacks are lasting a lot longer in the league.

Dan Marino’s career lasted 17 seasons but they were not all perfect. He missed a few games here and there and suffered an Achille’s injury that cost him most of a season. How long could he have played if the league rules of today were in place back then? It is a debate that will continue to be talked about long into the future.

Tom Brady is entering his 20th season in the NFL and he has barely been hit. Not because his offensive lines have been so great but because he has a quick release, avoids hits, and has rules in place to make other teams leery of drilling him to the ground. While that may not affect his game, it does allow him to stay healthy and a quarterback who stays healthy lasts a long time in this league.

Since 2000 and Tom Brady’s arrival in the NFL the top quarterbacks are still in the league and there is sustained success by those teams who have those quarterbacks. It is not just about finding an elite QB that lasts a long time, it’s about finding a quarterback who continues to grow. With the rules today, that QB can last a long time.

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Drew Brees was drafted in 2001 and to this day the Saints continue to be one of the top teams in the league. Ben Roethlisberger is still rolling along and will likely get another contract before he retires. The Steelers behind Roethlisberger continue to challenge every year.

While both could be considered exceptions or exceptional, the reality is that finding the quarterback could give the Dolphins 19 to 20 years of stability and that typically leads to sustained success. Miami has proven that themselves with Bob Griese and again with Dan Marino. Even Ryan Fitzpatrick has carved out a lengthy NFL career primarily as a back-up.

Josh Rosen may or may not be the Dolphins answer but the Dolphins need to find out and that means he needs to play and play often.