Zach Wilson Embraces Backup Role in Miami but Eyes Starting Future
Zach Wilson sees plenty to like about joining the Miami Dolphins.
“What’s not to like?” he said Monday. “Extremely explosive offense. They do a great job, and it starts from coach (Mike) McDaniel and goes all the way down. You’ve seen how (Tua Tagovailoa)’s development has gone since he’s been there. I’m just excited to be with those guys.”
Wilson signed a one-year deal to back up Tagovailoa, but his goal is bigger—he wants to prove his growth since being benched by the New York Jets in 2023 and earn another shot as a starter.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2021, Wilson spent last season as a backup in Denver without playing a snap. He used that time to refine his decision-making and pocket awareness, improving his ability to progress through reads.
His time with the Jets was a mix of highs and lows. While his arm strength and mobility were evident, inconsistency and poor decisions held him back. Across three seasons, he went 12-21 as a starter, throwing for 6,293 yards with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Wilson admitted that free agency was tough, but he saw Miami as the ideal place to grow. He pointed to Tagovailoa’s success under McDaniel as motivation, noting how the coach’s system has helped the Dolphins’ starter thrive, including a league-high 4,624 passing yards in 2023.
“You’ve seen what the ability to get people that believe in you (can do), and a staff that makes everything else around him better,” Wilson said. “And he’s played at an extremely high level. I don’t think that’s ever anything bad to be around or to see and learn from.”
For Wilson, proving himself starts in practice. While his Jets tenure didn’t go as planned, he still believes he can be a franchise quarterback in the right situation.
“I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever that opportunity comes,” Wilson said. “So I just try to put myself in the best situation with the best team and coaches and do the absolute best that I can.”
Miami needed a reliable backup after cycling through multiple quarterbacks last season. With Tagovailoa missing time due to concussions and a late-season hip injury, the Dolphins struggled with Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, and Tyler Huntley under center.
General manager Chris Grier made it clear the team prioritized the position in both free agency and the draft.
“It’s a position we do not take lightly,” Grier said in January. “That’s a position we will always focus on, and it will be a position that we will focus on this offseason.”
For now, Wilson is embracing his role as Tagovailoa’s backup—but he remains focused on proving he deserves another shot as a starter.
Leave a Reply