What Dolphins' Zach Wilson must solve to go from disappointment to great backup or more

Miami Herald

19-05-2025

A six-pack of notes on new Dolphins backup quarterback Zach Wilson:
▪ Last spring, ESPN's Rich Cimini authored an interesting reflection on the Wilson era in New York and a couple points stand out, details that can make anyone wonder why Miami not only targeted him at the start of free agency but also gave him the second-richest contract that it awarded any free agent:
'It's hard to come up with many positives on Wilson. Since entering the league, he has ranked 29th out of 29 quarterbacks in EPA/play (minimum: 1,000 dropbacks). Since 2000, he's 121st out of 122 quarterbacks in the same category, fractionally ahead of Blaine Gabbert.
'Perhaps the most damning indictment of Wilson is that the Jets' offense performed better with other quarterbacks, averaging more points per game when he was on the bench.
'Wilson was handed the starting job with no competition. In fact, there was no veteran on the roster for the early part of his rookie season. Wilson, who faced a weak schedule in his only full season as the BYU starter, was overwhelmed from the outset. Finally, after nearly two seasons, Jets officials admitted they goofed by not having him sit behind a veteran. They tried it in Year 3, putting him behind Aaron Rodgers, but it was too late.'
▪ Wilson's accuracy has been far too erratic (57% completion percentage in his career), but he has been victimized by circumstances, too.
Jets players dropped 58 of his passes.
Per Pro Football Reference, his bad throw percentage improved from a hideous 23.8 and 25.2% his first two seasons to 15.7 in 2023. So accuracy has been one area of growth, and that's a start.
▪ But the body of work reflects a deeply flawed player.
He has been abysmal on intermediate throws. In his career, he has a 62.75 passer rating on throws of 10 to 19 yards: 97 for 198 for 1,743, with five touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That's stunningly bad.
Despite his arm strength, his touch on deep throws isn't good enough. On throws of 20 or more yards in his career, he's 39 for 112 for 1,266 yards, three TDs and seven interceptions. That computes to a 61 passer rating.
▪ Though he can escape pressure at times (and has averaged 5.4 yards per carry), his passer rating when under pressure has been dismal: 48.6 in 2021, 18.6 in 2023 (with one TD and six interceptions) and 53.7 in 2023.
He didn't play a snap as Denver's No. 3 quarterback last season behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham.
He has been better in two of his three Jets seasons when he has a clean pocket, with passer ratings of 79.1 in 2021, 101.1 in 2022 and then 89.4 in 2023.
▪ And another big problem surfaced during his final season with the Jets, when he took over for the injured Rodgers and eventually was benched:
Wilson fumbled 11 times (fifth most in the league) in 12 games and was fortunate to lose only one of them. That gave him 17 fumbles (five lost) in three seasons.
He threw 25 interceptions in 34 games for the Jets and had 18 passes batted down.
▪ Positives? He was second in the league in yards per completion in 2022. He led the Jets to three comeback wins in 2023. He has a cannon for an arm and escapability in the pocket.
But his pocket presence and movement through progressions need a lot of work. He took 370 yards in sacks in 2021, which was worst in the league.
Si.com's Albert Breer has reported that Denver coaches liked what they saw in Wilson last season, even though they put Stidham ahead of him at No. 2.
Allow Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel explain Miami's curious choice to be Tua Tagovailoa's backup:
Grier: 'We just felt like Zach had a lot of potential and a lot of talent, and I know you could go the veteran route with someone more proven. Zach has won a few games. I know everyone is going to say his record [12-21] and stuff, but I think for us in dealing with it and getting to know him, talking once he signed and getting to know him and going through it and going back to the relationships people had with him prior to the draft when he came out — we just felt that in talking to him and some veterans, that he was the right fit and right choice for us because we do think that his skill set really fits what our offense does.'
McDaniel: 'There's very few people that know what it's like to be drafted high in New York City,' McDaniel said. 'And so then to see his resolve, to see where he's digested the whole situation. It's like anything for all of us. OK, if you have adversity in your life, that can be a source of strength and growth or it could be a source of, all right, that's what defines you and you can't get over that.
'What I see in Zach is the experience of being the second pick in the draft, being the starter week one, and then not fulfilling the rookie contract, that is behind him. So that, to me, that's an exciting prospect. Because you can't put a measurement on that human ability that is huge at the quarterback position.'