The Broncos reached a pre-free agency deal to retain Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson will relocate once again. The former Jets No. 2 overall pick is joining the Dolphins.
Miami is in agreement with Wilson on a one-year, $6MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract could reach $10MM. Wilson will return to the AFC East as a Tua Tagovailoa backup option.
Tagovailoa’s injury trouble has shined a spotlight on the Dolphins’ backup quarterbacks, as the team’s lack of production from this position sank a potential wild-card season. As Miami’s backup brigade struggled to find Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (but not Jonnu Smith), Wilson may well be stepping into an important role. This comes after an effective mid-career redshirt, as the former Jets three-year starter became the Broncos’ third-stringer.
The Jets and Broncos agreed on a trade that split Wilson’s 2024 money, but he fell behind early in a competition for the starting job. Bo Nix distanced himself in that three-way competition, but Stidham beat out Wilson for the QB2 job. Wilson was not expected to stay in Denver, but he has secured a more important role for the ’25 season.
Wilson made 33 starts for the Jets, who benched him on three occasions between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Although the Jets managed to fare better with Wilson at the controls than Aaron Rodgers, the latter certainly outplayed him. Wilson is a career 57% passer who carries a 23-25 TD-INT ratio to Miami. Averaging just 6.3 yards per pass for his career, the BYU alum does not bring stability to the Dolphins’ backup role.
Miami chose Skylar Thompson over Mike White as its 2024 backup, after White held the role in 2023 (when Tagovailoa stayed healthy). Thompson did not prove up to the job, leading to Tyler Huntley arriving and taking the reins last season, when Tua sustained a concussion and a separate injury. The Dolphins went 2-5 in the games Tua did not finish, and they will roll the dice with Wilson — barring a draft pick being added and quickly usurping the fifth-year vet — next season.