2023 Dolphins Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks
The Miami Dolphins approached the offseason like a team contending for the Super Bowl. They made a big splash by trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsay and bringing in highly touted defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
The Dolphins are looking to build off last year’s success, which saw them finish 9-8 and make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. However, the team lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round, extending Miami’s playoff winless streak to 22 seasons.
To prepare fans for a highly anticipated season, we’ve decided to break down each positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for each player, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.
DOLPHINS QUARTERBACK OUTLOOKS
Tua Tagovailoa
2022 Stats: 64.8 completion percentage, 3,548 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 8 INTs, 6 fumbles, 105.5 passer rating
2023 Outlook: Tagovailoa improved in basically every important metric last season. He took full advantage of having an offensive coach (Mike McDaniel) and one of the NFL’s best receivers (Tyreek Hill).
When he’s on the field, there’s no doubt Tagovailoa is a solid quarterback capable of winning a lot of games. However, staying on the field has been a consistent issue throughout the young quarterback’s career.
Concussions limited Tagovailoa to 13 games last season, as he missed the team’s final two regular season games and its playoff loss to Buffalo.
Tagovailoa is the unquestioned starter again this season, but he’s still playing for his future in Miami. The Dolphins exercised the quarterback’s fifth-year option in March, tying him to the team through 2024.
If Tagovailoa wants to leave no doubt in Miami’s mind about a long-term deal, he’ll have to exorcise his injury and the Dolphins’ playoff demons.
Mike White
2022 Stats (New York Jets): 58.9 completion percentage, 1,192 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 4 INTs, 2 fumbles, 75.7 passer rating
2023 Outlook: White spent last season playing for the division rival New York Jets. He started four games in place of Zach Wilson, going 1-3 during that stretch.
The Dolphins signed White to a two-year, $8 million deal this offseason hoping he would fill the team’s backup quarterback need. The Dolphins were 1-3 in games not started by Tagovailoa, which doesn’t include their loss to the Bengals on Sept. 29 when Teddy Bridgewater entered the game late in the second quarter.
As mentioned above, Tagovailoa has struggled with injuries throughout his career, so it’s reasonable to assume White will see some action this season.
Although fans seem to be bullish on White remedying the Dolphins’ backup quarterback issue, reports of his performance at OTAs were not encouraging. Additionally, White’s time with the Jets was filled with inconsistent play.
When White is on his game, he looks like a potential full-time starter, but that doesn’t happen often enough to have complete faith in him this season.
Skylar Thompson
2022 Stats: 57.1 completion percentage, 534 yards, 1 passing touchdown, 3 INTs, 2 fumbles, 62.2 passer rating
2023 Outlook: Thompson’s stats don’t tell the full picture of his 2022 performance. He was a seventh-round pick thrust into the lineup for a team in the middle of the playoff race.
With that considered, Thompson had some nice moments last season. He kept the Dolphins afloat in the playoff game against the Bills, throwing for 220 yards and one touchdown.
That game also revealed how far Thompson has to go. He completed just 40 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions. Was Thompson better than expected last season? Yes. Was he good enough to warrant no competition for the backup spot? No.
Ultimately, Thompson and White will battle it out for the QB2 spot. Given Thompson’s experience in Miami’s scheme, he’s got a small edge.
James Blackmon
2022 Stats: Did Not Play
2023 Outlook: Blackmon will have difficulty making the Dolphins’ roster as a rookie free agent.
If he does stick around past training camp, it likely will be on the practice squad.
DOLPHINS QUARTERBACK SUPERLATIVES
Most Accurate: Tua Tagovailoa
Strongest Arm: Skylar Thompson
Best Athlete: Skylar Thompson
Best Processor: Tua Tagovailoa
Best Pocket Presence: Tua Tagovailoa
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR DOLPHINS QBs
Can Miami Survive Without Tagovailoa?
This is easily the most important question for Miami’s quarterbacks. Tagovailoa has missed at least one game with an injury since entering the league in 2020.
He suffered two concussions last season, a rib and finger fracture in 2021, and a thumb sprain in 2020. That doesn’t even account for his college injuries, which included hip and ankle surgery.
Players shouldn’t be blamed for being injury-prone, but it’s part of the evaluation. Odds are Tagovailoa will miss games again this season, leaving the Dolphins in the hands of Thompson and White.
Thompson and White don’t have amazing pedigrees, but they’ve shown some promise in their limited playing time. While the Dolphins’ QB2 battle will get plenty of coverage — it should — the more important piece to this puzzle is the health of Miami’s cornerstones on offense.
If Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Terron Armstead are healthy, any backup quarterback stands a reasonable chance of keeping the Dolphins afloat, assuming Tagovailoa doesn’t miss extended time.
It’s also important to remember Miami’s defense and running game should be better this season, making the team less reliant on the offense to score points and the quarterback in general.
Simply put, the Dolphins roster is good enough to win with middling to poor quarterback play. Thompson and White should be capable of providing at least that.
