Kudos to Dolphins For Bringing Competition Everywhere ... But None Needed at QB

It's not every year or every team that will bring two of everything to the offseason program or training camp, but that's just what the Miami Dolphins will be doing with their specialists.

They ensured that with the signing of punter Bradley Pinion and long-snapper Taybor Pepper on Thursday to make it two kickers, two punters and two long-snappers, which again doesn't happen all the time.

It's all about bringing competition for new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley, something they have preached since being hired back in late January.

And there's obviously something to be said for having multiple options at every position so that playing time can go to the most deserving players and not be awarded by default. Also something about iron something sharpening something iron.

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So, sure, the Dolphins will benefit from Pepper being brought in to compete with Tucker Addington, Pinion joining UFL alum Seth Vernon in a punting competition, even signing kicker Zane Gonzalez before the decision was made to bring back Riley Patterson — even if it does seem a bit weird to bring in competition for a kicker who just set a franchise record for field goal accuracy in a season.

NO QB COMPETITION NEEDED

There are certain positions where competition seems unnecessary because we can't really expect anybody to beat out De'Von Achane at running back (assuming he remains on the roster), Patrick Paul at left tackle, Zach Sieler at defensive tackle or Jordyn Brooks at linebacker.

But there's one position where there just flat-out shouldn't be a competition for the Dolphins in 2026 — and that's at quarterback.

Period.

Point blank.

And there simply are a lot of reasons from this perspective.

The Dolphins guaranteed Malik Willis at total of $45 million over the next two years when they signed him away from the Green Bay Packers and it wasn't to serve as a backup to Quinn Ewers or a rookie draft pick the team might select in the 2026 draft.

That move was made with the idea of finding out over those next two years whether Willis can become the long-term solution for the Dolphins at quarterback, that elusive franchise quarterback that's been missing since Dan Marino retired in 2000.

That's not going to happen with Willis on the bench. The Dolphins need to see him in game action, even if it turns out that Ewers outplays him in training camp.

Here's the other important factor to consider: Sullivan and Hafley watched every Willis practice the past two seasons and they made it a point to sign him, so clearly they have a conviction. Should that conviction go out the window if it happened — for whatever reason — that Willis struggled either in the offseason or training camp or simply was outperformed by Ewers or another quarterback on the roster.

This takes us back to a column we wrote several weeks back making the point that having competition at quarterback sounds good in theory, but it also means you don't have a definitive answer at the position.

The Dolphins provided that answer when they gave Willis that contract. He's their answer.

There's no need for a competition there.

Everywhere else on the roster? Sure.

Not at quarterback. Not this year.