After a strange run with the New York Jets that ultimately ended unceremoniously with a trade to the Denver Broncos, it's clear Zach Wilson will be QB2 for the Miami Dolphins this fall after rarely seeing the field for Sean Payton's team last season.
On paper, it makes sense, right? The Dolphins already have Tua Tagovailoa under contract, and while he did miss time last season with his growing concussion issues, he remains the top dog in Miami for the foreseeable future. At best, Wilson is an upgrade over players like Tyler Huntley, who failed to get much done when Tagovailoa was unable to play, with anything else being gravy for the young signal caller.
And yet, while discussing his NFL future with reporters, Wilson let it be known that he does believe he can be a starter at some point in the future, which is partially why he chose to sign with Miami in the first place.
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“I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever that opportunity comes. And so I just try to put myself in the best situation with the best team and coaches and do the absolute best that I can,” Wilson said Monday, via the Associated Press.
“What's not to like? Extremely explosive offense. They do a great job, and it starts from coach McDaniel and goes all the way down. You've seen how Tua's development has gone since he's been there. I'm just excited to be with those guys.”
Asked what aspects of the game he would like to work on, Wilson broke it down, noting he has multiple goals for the 2025 season regardless of how often he sees the field in the regular season.
“Just processing in the NFL, pocket awareness, the ability to kind of progress more smoothly through my progressions and get the ball out of my hands, and just maybe my understanding of the game,” Wilson noted. “I feel like has just increasingly gotten better since my first year in the league.”
Could Wilson be the next journeyman quarterback to make good on his potential and become a certified starter down the line, following in the rich tradition of Jets quarterbacks made good alongside Sam Darnold and Geno Smith? Only time will tell, but after Darnold experienced a similar glow up after a season with Kyle Shanahan, maybe Wilson will have a similar experience under the San Francisco 49ers' former offensive coordinator in Miami.
