Examining the Dolphins' Complicated History with Ex-Jets QBs

Brady Cook became the latest in a steady stream of former New York Jets quarterbacks who wind up with the Miami Dolphins

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) looks to pass the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it came down to go through the waiver wire to add a third quarterback to their roster, the Miami Dolphins looked to the New York Jets.

Because of course they did.

It's really becoming a thing for the Dolphins to pick up ex-Jets quarterbacks to flush out their roster, and Cook actually could extend a really strange streak in 2026.

If he winds up throwing a regular season pass for Miami this season, it will mark the fourth consecutive season the Dolphins have had a different former Jets quarterback with at least one pass attempt. Cook would follow Zach Wilson in 2025, Tim Boyle in 2024 and Mike White in 2023.

Each of those pllayers was one-and-done with Miami, but now comes Cook straight off waivers to join Malik Willis and Kyle McCord on the 53-man roster.

And with Jeff Hafley indicating Tuesday morning that McCord would start the season as the number 2 — even though he expects Cook to never stop competing — odds are the streak won't continue.

It's still pretty amazing nonetheless.

And then we have this nugget. The last year the Dolphins had been awarded a quarterback off waivers before Cook was in 2018 when they got two of them. One of them was Bryce Petty from the New York Jets.

THE SUCCESS STORIES

Petty didn't even make it to the regular season with Miami, though, as he was waived/injured in September after first arriving in the spring.

There are some success stories involving former Jets quarterbacks with the Dolphins, none bigger than Chad Pennington.

He was a major factor in the Dolphins being able to win the AFC East title in 2008, which happens to be the last time Miami captured the division.

We also probably don't need to remind Dolphins fans they were coming off a 1-15 season and had overhauled the roster after the arrival of Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano. Pennington became a gift from the Jets to the Dolphins when they released him to make room for Brett Favre, with Pennington filling the one big hole that remained after Parcells and company had filled the roster with solid veterans.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is another former Jets quarterback who enjoyed success with Miami, though the argument could be made he enjoyed too much success in 2019 and maybe kept the Dolphins from being able to land the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which would have given them Joe Burrow.

After helping the Dolphins get to five wins in a clear rebuilding/resetting season, Fitzpatrick then had another solid season in 2020 before he yanked from the starting lineup in favor of Tua Tagovailoa and came back to lead the miraculous comeback victory against the Raiders two days after Christmas to put the Dolphins in a win-and-in situation for their finale at Buffalo.

Unlike Fitzpatrick and Pennington, the recent former Jets quarterbacks who have joined the Dolphins have all been younger, unproven players and the results haven't been great.

Maybe Cook can break that particular streak.