Jokes flew around Monday afternoon when the Miami Dolphins signed New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson.
Miami added Wilson to back up Tua Tagovailoa, a fit that many still can't picture. Wilson, the former second overall pick by the Jets, was thrust into a system similar to Mike McDaniel's — a Matt LaFleur-esque offense. He struggled in that system in New York. Will he do better in Miami?
Fans didn't love it. The move screamed desperation, but the Dolphins are, in fact, desperate.
Despite his shortcomings and struggles in New York, he is still better than many of the Dolphins' most recent backup quarterbacks.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has once again added a former Jets quarterback, a team hardly known for its recent success at the position. Wilson joins Mike White and Tim Boyle as the latest Jets-turned-Dolphins passer.
Zach Wilson has had a year to mature, and it should help with the Dolphins
Notable backup quarterback signings in free agency
Quarterback | Value | Years |
|---|---|---|
Daniel Jones | $14 million | 1 |
Jacoby Brissett | $12.5 million | 2 |
Marcus Mariota | $8 million | 1 |
Mason Rudolph | $8 million | 2 |
Joshua Dobbs | $8 million | 2 |
Mac Jones | $7 million | 2 |
Nick Mullens | $6.5 million | 2 |
Taylor Heinicke | $6.2 million | 1 |
Zach Wilson | $6 million | 1 |
Kyle Trask | $2.79 million | 1 |
Wilson spent the 2024 season with the Denver Broncos but didn't play a regular-season snap. He was, however, coached by Sean Payton, putting him in a far better situation than he had endured previously. Wilson was thrown into the New York spotlight sooner than any quarterback should have been. He was benched in favor of White, and then started again but never got going.
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There is no pressure for Wilson to do great in Miami, at least not at the start. While most knee-jerk reactions (yes, I'm guilty) were negative, Wilson is still the best backup Miami has had since Tua arrived (sorry, Ryan Fitzpatrick fans).
Why the Dolphins went this route is a good question. Mac Jones, another former AFC East draft bust, signed a two-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers to back up Brock Purdy. He is getting $7 million with $5 million guaranteed. Wilson's one-year deal is a fully guaranteed $6 million.
The offense will fall on Wilson's shoulders if Tagovailoa goes down again. Maybe it works better than the previous quarterbacks to step in for Tua; maybe it won't. Time will tell, but given the NFL landscape and backup quarterbacks available, the Dolphins could have done much worse.