The Miami Dolphins are taking the drastic step of benching perceived franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as they play out the remainder of their schedule. Tagovailoa, a former first round pick whose career trajectory hit a major downturn, is mired in the worst statistical year of his career and the organization wants to see what it has in Quinn Ewers this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Their decision to go with Ewers over fellow backup Zach Wilson was a bit of a surprise and the passed-over quarterback is being honest with his reaction to the move.
Wilson admitted to being "frustrated" and a little "confused" by the development, per a Miami Herald article from Barry Jackson.
“Of course I would love to play,” Wilson said. “I can’t control that. My job is to go out and do the best I can. Keep preparing, …. getting better, supporting Quinn. Excited for him to get his first start.”
When asked if he was provided an explanation as to why he won't be getting the reins, Wilson didn't offer many details.
“A little bit. There’s still confusion there. But you know what? That’s how it goes sometimes.”
These seem like perfectly understandable quotes. An NFL team should want a quarterback who wants to play. And one savvy enough to say the right things in supporting the person who is getting that opportunity.
Tagovailoa's contract makes fully moving on a bit more difficult from the franchise. But it's reasonable to think that the quest to find his full-time replacement—if that's the direction Miami wants to go—will be more of a marathon than a sprint because the Dolphins don't have to play any meaningful games until next September. There's a whole offseason for Wilson to emerge in the position he wants to be, yet he knows that putting some solid tape together over the final three weeks of the year will go a long way in making his case.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Zach Wilson Gives Candid Admission Amid Dolphins' QB Shuffle.