Former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has reached a new low with the Miami Dolphins.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport revealed on Sunday, October 19, that the Dolphins “are making a change to their QB depth chart for today’s game, as Quinn Ewers will serve as the backup to Tua Tagovailoa for their matchup against the Browns, per the Insiders. This is the first game active for the rookie seventh-rounder.”
Social Media Erupts Over Wilson Benching by Dolphins
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic responded, “Zach Wilson demoted to third string….”
The Jet Press posted, “Zach Wilson somehow got benched…..from the bench 😭.”
A Miami fan said, “This is interesting 👀. Could mean one of two things. 1- Zach Wilson is getting traded. 2- Ewers might be some reps this season.”
Miami Totally Blew This Free Agency Decision
The Dolphins surprised many by their decision to sign Wilson and the contract they gave him.
Wilson inked a one-year, fully guaranteed $6 million deal. The contract included incentives that could increase its overall value to $10 million, per ESPN.
During the offseason, head coach Mike McDaniel called Wilson a “direct, calculated target” by the team in free agency.
“I think it’s layered. This was something that was on our mind for a considerable amount of time and it goes back to everybody has a different circumstance, but we drafted a quarterback in San Francisco the year he came out,” McDaniel told ESPN in April. “I watched every snap of his collegiate play, and he was a phenomenal talent that in my opinion didn’t have reps in an NFL pocket yet. Like at BYU he was launching it from about 10 and 11 yards deep and you’re not in the phone booth, and so my estimation, there was going to be some nuanced growth to his game that I think it is close to impossible to excel that early in that new form of football that he was playing (in the NFL).”
Dolphins Prove They Are Not Smarter Than Everybody Else Afterall
Miami’s decision to sign Wilson and their explanation of it gave off the vibe that they knew something everyone else in the league didn’t.
Wilson, 26, entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with the Jets. During that stretch, he appeared in 34 games and made 33 starts.
Wilson showed very few signs of being a competent NFL quarterback during his run as the Jets’ starter. He completed 57% of his passes, threw for 6,293 passing yards, and had a 23 touchdown to 25 interception ratio. The former BYU product was 12-21 as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Since 2009, the Jets have invested three top-five picks at the quarterback position with Wilson (2021), Sam Darnold (2018), and Mark Sanchez (2009). The green and white are very likely going to dip their toes in those waters again come the 2026 NFL draft.
The vicious cycle continues for the Jets. At least in this situation, it doesn’t appear Wilson will follow in the footsteps of Darnold and Geno Smith by leaving the Jets and finding success with other teams across the league.
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