Former No. 1 Pick Currently Playing Backup QB in AFC
The Miami Dolphins need a better plan for the next time starting QB Tua Tagovailoa is incapacitated by injury, and the options actually abound.
Few of those options are home runs, but the play of Joe Flacco for the Cleveland Browns down the stretch of last season and Sam Darnold’s start to the 2024 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings clearly demonstrate that big arm talent can produce big results in the right system.
In that context, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tackled some of the Dolphins’ best options, including former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston who is currently backing up Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
“Russell Wilson, Winston and [Mac] Jones could be the best options for Miami from that group, figuring Darnold will get a starting opportunity elsewhere,” Jackson wrote on October 2.
Jackson’s pitch was actually that the Dolphins should ink Winston to a deal during the offseason and install him as Tagovailoa’s backup then. However, Winston might be on the market ahead of the NFL’s November 5 trade deadline if Cleveland keeps losing.
General manager Andrew Berry constructed the Browns to win now, but at 1-3 with a banged up offensive line and one of the worst offenses in football that may not be in the cards in Cleveland this season.
The Browns have second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to whom they can turn if they decide to yank Watson from the lineup, which renders Wintson a viable trade chip if Cleveland punts on the season and looks to stock up on draft capital for a 2025 push.
Miami is also built to win now, but the difference is that the Dolphins actually can with a capable quarterback able to push the football downfield and take advantage of the offensive speed. As such, Winston is at least worth a phone call — particularly if Tagovailoa ends up missing more time than expected.
Winston led the league in passing yards (5,109) and TD passes (30) back in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has thrown for more than 22,100 yards, 141 TDs and 99 INTs over the course of his 10-year career but has not taken a single snap yet this season.
