The current Miami Dolphins post draft quarterback situation
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are banking on Tua Tagovailoa to take a big step in 2021 and their playoff future depends on him doing just that.
With the draft over and free agency entering the off-season trickle phase, focus shifts to OTAs and mini camps for the next month and a half. Following the long month off in July, teams will return to the practice field for training camp. That is when we will know if Tagovailoa’s off-season work might pay off.
The Dolphins quarterback room is thin right now. Tagovailoa is a question mark whether you believe he will make the necessary strides or not. It isn’t a love or hate relationship it merrily a “time will tell” situation. Beyond Tagovailoa, it is pretty clear who the top backup is and how the QB room shakes out.
Jacoby Brissett will cost the Dolphin $5 million in 2021 to play behind Tua. He has the ability to jump into a game if need be but he doesn’t carry the immediate leadership that Ryan Fitzpatrick carried in his 2nd season with the Dolphins last year.
Brissett isn’t going anywhere but behind him, only Reid Sinnett is on the roster and that will need to change prior to camp. We took a look at a possible 4th option on Tuesday and you can read that here.
Miami will need at least one more QB to fill out their roster ahead of camp just to get reps for the units. Looking at the QB situation in Miami, it really doesn’t matter who is competing at the bottom of the roster. A 4th QB is exactly that, a 4th QB.
What Miami needs more than anything aside from Tua taking a step forward is to identify a capable backup QB that can stick for more than a year. Brissett’s contract is a one-year deal and while the Dolphins may add another after the season, at some point they need to either turn it over to Sinnett or find another QB to groom as a backup long-term behind Tua.
As for the position itself, as we said, this entire season will succeed or fail on how well or how bad Tagovailoa plays.