Another disastrous start from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Monday night seemingly opened up a lane for Miami backup Zach Wilson to earn another chance under center.
The optimism was short-lived.
On Wednesday, the Dolphins announced they were demoting their $212 million starting quarterback for unproven rookie Quinn Ewers, who leap-frogged Wilson to be the new QB1 for the team’s Week 16 matchup against the Bengals.
Zach Wilson’s NFL future becomes increasingly unclear after the Dolphins announce Quinn Ewers as the team’s starting quarterback for Week 16. APIt is unclear if Tagovailoa or Wilson will serve as Ewers’ backup.
The decision to elevate Ewers — a seventh-round pick who has appeared in just one game this season — further clouds the NFL future of the beleaguered ex-Jet, who hasn’t started a game since 2023, and will hit free agency after this season.
Wilson inked a one-year, $6 million deal with Miami after spending the 2024 season as the third-string quarterback for the Denver Broncos, preceded by three turbulent years in New York.
After his signing, head coach Mike McDaniel asserted that it was a “direct, calculated target” to pursue the former second-overall pick as a backup for Tagovailoa, believing Wilson’s struggles have only helped him grow.
“He looks like a guy that has been through some s–t and found his way through it,” he told reporters in July. “Because it does not make him worse. He learns from it.”
Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers will start for the Dolphins in Week 16 against the Bengals. Getty ImagesBut Wilson’s role as the clear-cut backup began to muddle after “uneven” showings over the summer, while Ewers closed the distance by showing “promise in camp and the preseason,” according to NFL Network.
The former BYU standout, 26, has appeared in three games this season and thrown nine passes, compared to eight throws in one appearance for Ewers — though NFL Network noted that the Texas product has remained impressive in “practice and behind the scenes.”
The Dolphins are benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who leads the NFL in interceptions. APThe benching of Tagovailoa, who has taken the Dolphins to a brutal 6–8 record while leading the NFL in interceptions, once appeared to be Wilson’s golden opportunity to audition for another backup gig, whether in Miami or elsewhere.
Now that the Dolphins have decided to see what they’ve got in Ewers, who’s under team control through the 2028 season, it seems Wilson will likely be on the move again this offseason.
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But with just three games left on his contract and no recent starts to bolster his resume, it remains to be seen what Wilson’s market could look like in 2026.
He’s thrown 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions in his career.
