2022 Dolphins positional preview: There’s a QB rostered for each role
The 2021 season wasn’t great for the Miami Dolphins’ offensive side of the ball. They struggled to find consistency throughout the year and were constantly putting their defense into poor positions.
With all of the moves that the Dolphins have made this season, including hiring an offensive-minded head coach, they’re hoping that the production will be much better.
At the quarterback position, the Dolphins are set to enter training camp with three options that should be able to perform in their roles and do so well. Here’s a quick look at all three signal-callers that Miami has on their roster at this point.
Tua Tagovailoa
Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt/AP Photo
Entering his third season, Tagovailoa has a lot to prove this year. 2021 was disappointing for the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, as the former Crimson Tide quarterback struggled to produce up to the level of a first-round pick. Some of the issues were on him, while others can be contributed to the poor play-calling, lack of talent on the offensive line and health.
Despite those problems, the Dolphins still had a 7-5 record with him under center, not including the win against the Baltimore Ravens where he played nearly the entire second half.
With Mike McDaniel leading the team, an improved line and more talented weapons around him, Tagovailoa will be expected to take a step and lead this team to a postseason birth for the first time since 2016, and that’s a real possibility.
Teddy Bridgewater
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Bridgewater was brought in this year on a one-year deal worth $6.5 million to back up Tagovailoa. The 29-year-old spent 2021 with the Denver Broncos, leading the team to a 7-7 record in 14 games while completing 66.9% of his attempts for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Now, entering 2022, Bridgewater will serve as the veteran backup quarterback in Miami. While this normally wouldn’t be a job that’s super important for most teams, Tagovailoa has missed time with injuries in his short career. There’s a chance that Bridgewater is asked to play at some point in 2022, and he gives them a better chance to win than Jacoby Brissett did in 2021.
Skylar Thompson
Mandatory Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP Photo
Thompson enters his rookie year after being drafted in the seventh round of this year’s draft out of Kansas State. In his short time with Miami, he’s already beaten out veteran backup Chris Streveler for the third-string, developmental quarterback role on the roster.
With two capable veterans ahead of him, it’s extremely unlikely that he says any real game time during the regular season, but he’ll get opportunities in preseason and training camp to show he deserves to make the 53-man roster over the practice squad.
