Zach Wilson’s sinking NFL career may have just found one last lifeline

Former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was given a major opportunity when he signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $6 million contract with the Miami Dolphins this past offseason.

Wilson had spent the previous season as the third-string quarterback for the Denver Broncos and hadn't appeared in a game since the end of his disastrous Jets stint in 2023, but Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel clearly saw something in the former BYU standout.

Wilson's 2025 season in Miami has been a bit of a rollercoaster, as the former No. 2 overall pick briefly lost his QB2 job to seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers before ultimately regaining it midseason.

Now, against all odds, he somehow might be in line to start an NFL game for the first time in over two years. McDaniel spoke to reporters on Tuesday and left the door open for a quarterback change following another poor performance from starter Tua Tagovailoa.

Ex-Jets QB Zach Wilson could start after Dolphins leave door open for Tua Tagovailoa benching

The Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention following their 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. McDaniel insisted on Tuesday that his quarterback's performance in the game "was not good enough."

Tagovailoa threw his NFL-leading 15th interception in that game, and while his final numbers may not look terrible — 22-of-28 for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception — the majority of that production came in what was essentially garbage time.

Tagovailoa's future in Miami is very much in doubt at this stage, and if the Dolphins have already decided that they plan to move on, it might make sense to give one of the other quarterbacks on their roster a chance to start down the stretch, especially with the team already eliminated from playoff contention.

While Miami may eventually want to get a look at Ewers, given that they drafted him this past April, Wilson is currently the team’s QB2 and has appeared in three games this season. His most recent action came in Week 14 against the Jets, when he was inserted for a pair of kneel-downs at the end of the game.

Wilson may be on the verge of getting a rare opportunity to put meaningful NFL tape on display for the first time since Week 15 of the 2023 season. That’s more of a chance than many expected him to receive after the Jets traded him away in the 2024 offseason.

While it likely wouldn’t be enough to make him a long-term option for Miami in 2026, a strong showing could help Wilson earn another backup job, either with the Dolphins or elsewhere. Given the trajectory his career appeared to be on, that would qualify as a win.

It remains to be seen whether McDaniel and the Dolphins will actually pull the trigger on a Tagovailoa benching, but Wilson’s path to a continued NFL career may have just become a bit clearer. An unexpected opportunity could be right around the corner.