The Miami Dolphins hope to end 20 years of futility at the QB position

The Miami Dolphins have been looking for a quarterback since Dan Marino retired. Could this be the draft that ends 20 years of disappointment?

The worst kept secret in the National Football League right now is that the Miami Dolphins are looking to add a quarterback in this year’s draft. Many think it’ll be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. The question weighing on all Dolphins fans though is will the next quarterback, whether it’s Tua or someone else, be the answer to the never-ending list of names who’ve played the position over the past two decades?

Since 2000 the Miami Dolphins have had 21 different people start a regular-season game at quarterback. I haven’t done the research on every team but the list of teams who could rival this statistic is probably pretty small. That number would be even higher had Ryan Tannehill not had a run four consecutive seasons (2012-2015) where he started all 16 games.

Just the mention of the names Lucas, Rosenfels, Harrington, Lemon, Beck, and Feeley cause Dolphins fans to feel queasy. Not to mention the rage brought about at just the thought of Daunte Culpepper.

Give the Dolphins credit though, they’ve certainly kicked a plethora of tires to try and find a franchise quarterback. They’ve signed free agents, they’ve drafted mid to late-round guys, and have even traded for guys who were picked in top 3 (Harrington) hoping that a change of scenery would be the answer. Let’s take a look at the top five Miami Dolphins starting quarterbacks.

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#1 Ryan Tannehill – Tannehill outpaces all quarterbacks with his 88 total games started over the past 20 years. Statistically, Tannehill wasn’t that bad of a quarterback. The problem was those statistics didn’t equate to a better win/loss record. During his 6 seasons with the Dolphins, Tannehill finished with a 42-46 record. He threw for 20,434 yards with 123 touchdowns and 75 interceptions. He also rushed for 1218 yards and 7 touchdowns. Tannehill was an easy guy to cheer for while here. Up until the knee injury that ultimately ended his career in Miami, Tannehill showed up each and every week and took a beating after beating behind some very bad offensive lines.

#2 Jay Fiedler – You have to go back to 2000 to find the quarterback who started the second-most games. Jay Fiedler started a total of 59 games for the Dolphins. At the time, fans clamored for an upgrade at the position, but as the years have worn on there are many of us who would love to have those years back. Fiedler was the opposite of Tannehill. He didn’t put up great numbers, but he did win football games. Fiedler was 13 games over .500 during his 5 seasons as the Dolphins starter (36-23). During that time he threw for 11,040 yards with 66 touchdowns and 63 interceptions. Chipping in another 834 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

#3 Chad Henne – Chad Henne was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round (57th overall) in the 2008 draft. Some experts thought he was the most pro-ready quarterback coming out of Michigan that year. Henne’s time in Miami was less than stellar. He started 31 games over the course of 4 seasons. He threw for 7114 yards with 31 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.

#4 Chad Pennington – Pennington came to the Dolphins in 2008 after being run out of New York. The former Jets quarterback had instant success in Miami. He led Miami to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. Unfortunately, though, Pennington’s shoulder was damaged goods allowing him to start only 4 more games for the Dolphins in the following two seasons. In those 20 games, Pennington completed 67.6 percent of his passes throwing for 4085 yards with 20 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions. Pennington gave the Dolphins a glimpse of what it felt like to have a good quarterback again.

#5 Matt Moore – Coming in at number five is career back-up, Matt Moore. Moore was a great backup quarterback, a consummate professional. He made no waves, he was always prepared when he entered a game and could fill in adequately over a short stretch. A starter he was not though. The majority of Moore’s 17 starts with the Dolphins came in his first year with the team. In 2011 he started 12 games, going 6-6. In his 7 years with the team, he threw for 4298 yards with 29 touchdowns against 19 interceptions.

Outside of Ryan Tannehill, who was drafted #8 overall in 2012, the Miami Dolphins have not drafted a quarterback in the first round since some guy named Marino in 1983. So it’s obvious to see why Dolphins fans are excited about the upcoming draft.

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