Zach Wilson excited to be Tagovailoa's backup in Miami, but hopes to earn another starting job

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — There were plenty of things that drew Zach Wilson to 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.”

Most importantly, when Wilson signed a one-year deal to be Miami's backup quarterback behind Tagovailoa, he wanted an opportunity to show his improvement since being benched by the New York Jets in 2023, and potentially earn another starting job.

Wilson, the Jets' No. 2 overall pick in 2021, spent last season as a backup in Denver and did not play a snap. He said he took that time to develop his processing and pocket awareness and is now advancing through his progressions more smoothly.

He was the Jets’ starter for much of his three seasons in New York, but failed to live up to the lofty expectations of a high draft pick brought in to lead the franchise. Wilson’s Jets tenure was highlighted by his strong arm and mobility, but marred by poor decision-making.

He went 12-21 as a starter with 6,293 yards passing, 498 yards rushing, a 57 percent completion rate and 23 touchdowns. He threw 25 interceptions.

He said the uncertainty of free agency was challenging, but he ultimately felt the Dolphins would offer him the support and opportunity to prove he's still a capable NFL starter.

Wilson pointed to Tagovailoa's development under McDaniel as another motivating factor.

Tagovailoa's most successful seasons as a starter came after McDaniel was hired ahead of the 2022 season. He's thrown for more than 3,500 yards twice, including a league-high 4,624 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.”

Wilson said proving himself as a starter begins each day in practice and involves being more consistent going forward.

Wilson was expected to be the face of the franchise when the Jets selected him out of BYU. He’s athletic. He can make throws on the run from different angles. But he struggled during his first two seasons in New York.

The Jets effectively decided to move on from him when they acquired Aaron Rodgers to be their starter in 2023, but when Rodgers went down in the season opener, Wilson took over as the starter again.

He was unable to play consistently, showed little improvement from his first two seasons and was benched.

Despite a disappointing start to his career, Wilson would like to view himself as more than a journeyman. He still believes he can do more with the right opportunity.

“I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever that opportunity comes,” Wilson said. “And 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.”

The Dolphins were in need of an experienced backup behind Tagovailoa after the quarterback missed a career-high six games last season because of injuries. He went on injured reserve after suffering his third diagnosed concussion in two years during a Week 2 game against Buffalo. He was sidelined again at the end of the season because of a hip injury.

The Dolphins used three backup quarterbacks in 2024 — Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley — with little success. Huntley started five games for Miami, going 2-3.

General manager Chris Grier said at the end of the season the team planned to address the backup quarterback position, both in free agency and the NFL draft.

“It’s a position we do not take lightly,” Grier said in January. “We were working through that the entire offseason, and the fact that some of those guys were willing to come here at what we could pay them shows how they believe in Mike, the staff and the offensive scheme, and the players that are here.

"That’s a position we will always focus on, and it will be a position that we will focus on this offseason.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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