Zach Wilson might somehow get another NFL start after latest Dolphins rumors

Zach Wilson’s time with the Jets may feel like a distant memory, but his story still finds a way to circle back to them. Against all odds, the former No. 2 pick might be on the verge of an improbable return to an NFL starting job.

Wilson has spent the majority of the 2025 season serving as the top backup quarterback to Tua Tagovailoa in Miami, appearing in two games to this point. But he could be set to receive a golden opportunity in the near future.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that the Dolphins benching Tagovailoa "is not off the table at some point this season." Wilson or even seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers could be thrust into action at some point if Tagovailoa continues to struggle.

Ewers was elevated to QB2 ahead of Wilson for one game in Week 7 but was relegated back to a third-string role the following week. If Tagovailoa does get benched, the Dolphins could hold a practice competition to decide who takes over as the starter.

Either way, Wilson may receive another massive opportunity to start an NFL game again in the coming weeks.

Dolphins could bench Tua Tagovailoa to start ex-Jets QB Zach Wilson

Tagovailoa has struggled mightily this season for the Dolphins. The former Alabama standout leads the NFL in both interceptions thrown (11) and fumbles (6) in nine starts in 2025. He's on pace for the worst statistical season of his career, at least as far as ball security is concerned.

The result has been a Miami team that has won just two of its first nine games, one of which came against the lowly Jets in Week 4. Their struggles haven't all been on the quarterback, but with the Dolphins staring down another potential rebuild, the organization could look to move on from Tagovailoa this offseason.

The assumption is that if Tagovailoa were to be benched, it would effectively seal his fate in Miami. The issue, however, is that releasing him in the offseason, at least before June 1st, would result in a staggering $99.2 million dead cap hit, the largest in NFL history.

Wilson could be given a brief audition to prove he deserves another shot, whether with Miami or elsewhere. It’s a longshot, and nothing in his track record suggests he’d capitalize on it, but it’s an opportunity few thought he’d ever see again.

Wilson signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $6 million deal with the Dolphins this offseason in a move widely criticized from the start. His struggles throighout the summer and brief demotion to QB3 have only reinforced those doubts.

But Wilson might soon get an unexpected chance to salvage his NFL career and prove he still deserves a place in the league as a starting quarterback. That opportunity could come sooner rather than later.