The Miami Dolphins hold their breath every time Tua Tagovailoa drops back to pass.
When healthy, he’s a dynamic player who can distribute the ball all over the field like a basketball point guard. He’s highly accurate and has completed 68.1% of his passes over his career.
However, he’s suffered four concussions. One was during his days in Alabama, and three were with the Dolphins (two in 2022 and one in 2024). When he misses games, the Dolphins lose games. They are 2-7 in games when Tua sits out.
For the Dolphins, probably more than any other team, having a quality backup is as important as having a field to play on.
Who are the Dolphins’ Backup Quarterbacks?
The Dolphins have started the 2025 NFL season 0-2 following losses to the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.
In those two games, Tagovailoa has completed 72.7% of his throws for 429 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has already been sacked a concerning eight times through two games and now faces a tough test against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.
Hi, Tua 👋
MIAvsBUF on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xdvBjuM9lG— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2025
The Dolphins overhauled their quarterback room in the offseason. Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson, and Tim Boyle are out, as former first-round pick Zach Wilson and 2025 seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers have replaced them.
Zach Wilson
Wilson spent three years with the New York Jets before he was traded to the Denver Broncos and then the Dolphins, where he signed a one-year $6 million contract.
The presumed second-stringer turned 26 before the season started, and he has been telling people he’s happier in Miami than in years.
“I felt like they really wanted me to be here,” he said.
When talking about how he’s been treated by head coach Mike McDaniel, he said, “I feel like sometimes I lost that in myself a little bit of like, you know, understanding how talented I can be. You know, it’s good to feel like you have some belief in somebody.”
Wilson had a solid training camp and has done his best to show everyone why he was the second overall pick in 2021.
Quinn Ewers
The Dolphins drafted Ewers in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He threw for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns with 24 interceptions in 36 games with the Texas Longhorns.
His final year at Texas was unusual. He was the established starter, but throughout 2024, commentators often noted that Arch Manning was waiting behind him. Even when Ewers played well, he had to deal with his heir apparent sometimes drawing more attention.
He handled it well, threw the ball well in camp, and impressed some people, like former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant.
Wilson and Ewers are expected to get extended looks only if Tagovailoa suffers an injury. However, the Dolphins will hope that doesn’t happen, as no matter how bad their current team is, they look much worse without their starting quarterback on the field.
