How the Dolphins Created Their Own Mess At Back-Up Quarterback

In the NFL, teams often say, "If you have two quarterbacks, you have none."

But in the Miami Dolphins' case, not having any viable back-up quarterback options behind Tua Tagovailoa — the most injury-prone quarterback in the NFL — was a predictably disastrous proposition. And what's worse is it was likely intentional.

The hard truth: The Dolphins refused to have a competent veteran backup in place because of how Tua's career began — haunted by a lingering fear of being replaced and his inability to handle competition or a strong personality in the same quarterback room.

Blame Tua for not being able to handle competition or blame the team for not consistently providing said competition, but the reality is that the Dolphins, more than any team in the NFL, needed a proven backup. Yet they spent the past two seasons with the worst quarterback room in the NFL, and it wasn't even close.

When the Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa in 2020, he was seen as the future of the franchise. But then-head coach Brian Flores didn't share that unshakable confidence. Flores opted to keep veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick on the roster. Eventually, upper management forced Flores to bench Tua in favor of Fitzpatrick, but the debate and musical chairs act was reprised every time the rookie struggled or missed time.
It wasn't long before Tua became accustomed to looking over his shoulder, worrying that every mistake might lead to a change under center. That experience left a mark, and the Dolphins have approached their back-up quarterback situation differently ever since.

Tua's anxiety over being replaced — especially by a veteran with significant NFL experience — has affected the team's decision-making process. Cognizant of their quarterback's physical and mental fragility, the Dolphins consistently chose to eliminate any semblance of a threat from behind him on the depth chart.

Knowing they had a quarterback struggling to stay in the NFL, the Dolphins not only refused to put in place logical back-up plans for his inevitable injury but also paid Tua $200 million this offseason.

As a result, the organization has relied on players like a washed-up Teddy Bridgewater, Skylar Thompson, Mike White, Tim Boyle, and now Tyler Huntley to step in for Tua every time he inevitably and predictably misses a huge chunk of games after he bumps his head the wrong way.
That might sound mean. But it's also true. Tua is not long for the NFL. Any sane person would point out he's bound to take the hits that cause him to miss four to six games every season, if not each week. This is not a place for niceties. The truth hurts.

While teams around the league added capable if unflashy backups like Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, and Joe Flacco, the Dolphins gambled on their man staying healthy or, perhaps even more recklessly, on him not constantly looking over his shoulder and losing his confidence. Time and time again, the strategy has backfired.

The sad reality is that no NFL team should be more prepared for an injury to its starting quarterback than the Miami Dolphins. At age 26, Tua Tagovailoa has already missed the equivalent of an entire season's worth of games owing to injuries. Given the stakes, the Dolphins' inability to field a quality backup is perplexing.
When Tua entered the offseason this past year, he focused on two critical aspects of his career: overcoming his history of concussions and working out the details of his yet-to-be-agreed-upon long-term contract. The dirty little secret is that the Dolphins, concerned with his mindset, didn't want to add a veteran who might rattle his confidence or serve as a perceived replacement in waiting.

The ultimate price for this decision is not merely a potential lost season but perhaps the jobs of those responsible for this roster construction: general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel.

Enable a child and deal with the results; this was preventable. More than any other team in the NFL, the Dolphins should have had a past NFL starter ready to step in and drive the Lamborghini of a football team they put together while Tua was on the mend. In one of the most perplexing decisions in franchise history, they tossed the keys to a crop of players unworthy of a learner's permit.

The price has already been paid this season. And barring some incredible events, many will reap the repercussions in the offseason.

And in all likelihood, the Dolphins will sign an actual back-up quarterback worthy of a roster spot. Too little, too late.