After a painful 6-8 start to the season, the Miami Dolphins announced they were benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and starting rookie Quinn Ewers over five-year veteran Zach Wilson.
After the news broke, Wilson gave his reaction to the depth chart update to the Miami Herald.
In addition to saying he was both “frustrated” and “confused”, Wilson spoke on his preparation, team spirit, and overall outlook on the season.
Of course I would love to play. I can’t control that. My job is to go out and do the best I can. Keep preparing, get better, supporting Quinn. Excited for him to get his first start.
Wilson has been the QB2 in every game this season, getting spot minutes in three games. With the Dolphins, he’s completed six of nine pass attempts for 32 yards.
Despite being the backup, head coach Mike McDaniel announced that Ewers would jump Wilson and get the Week 16 start.
However, his chance to play, and even start, later this season isn’t over.
Yeah, obviously, depending on how things go. That just goes without saying. It’s always a competition. You would hope all these organizations would want to play the best player and try and win.
Dolphins’ Sanders returns to practice. And Zach Wilson candid about not starting https://t.co/UHjbCwI8C2
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) December 18, 2025
From injuries to key players like Tyreek Hill to underperformers in other areas, Miami is already mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with the sixth-worst record in the AFC.
Wilson called the season “tough” and reiterated that he would like to be playing.
About Zach Wilson
Before his time in the NFL, the Corner Canyon High School product had a standout career at BYU. Wilson helped the Cougars to an 11-1 record during his final season in Provo.
Following his college career, the Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Corner Canyon product entered his rookie season as the Jets’ starting quarterback. Wilson experienced multiple knee injuries that caused him to miss significant time during his first two seasons.
He entered the 2023 season as Aaron Rodger’s backup. However, Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury a few plays into New York’s first game. Wilson was thrust back into the starting lineup for a team that showed the same flaws from past seasons.
#BYU great, Denver Broncos QB @ZachWilson is supporting the Cougs!#BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/Ra0APsjkOz
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 1, 2024
Late in 2023, Wilson was benched for the third time in his career. He returned to the field a couple of weeks later after the Jets found no success with their other quarterbacks. Wilson suffered a concussion the following week and didn’t play for the remainder of the regular season. The former BYU star missed New York’s final three games and the Jets finished with a 7-10 record, missing the playoffs for a 13th straight year.
In his third season, Wilson threw for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions with a completion percentage of 60.1. He also ran for 211 yards.
After spending the 2024 season as a backup in Denver, the Miami Dolphins signed the former Cougar on March 10, 2025.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.
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