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A former Dolphins quarterback signed with the Lions
The Miami Dolphins appear to be set at the quarterback position after signing one of the top free agent quarterbacks, Malik Willis, to a three-year, $67 million contract this offseason. It has been Miami’s only big addition this offseason, as the team has prioritized draft capital and improving their salary cap situation.
The most difficult move the Dolphins had to make this offseason also involved the quarterback position, as the team had to part ways with former Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa was the team’s primary starter for the previous five seasons, and despite some strong seasons, his 2025 season left a lot to be desired. As a result of the team’s and his declining performance, Miami opted to release him and take on $99 million in dead money.
Now, a former backup to Tua Tagovailoa has signed on with the Detroit Lions, as he extends his long career.
Former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Signs With Lions
The Detroit Lions announced they had signed former Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year contract. Bridgewater, who was a member of the Dolphins in the 2022 season, has been in the NFL for 11 seasons, and has totaled over $64 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac.
Prior to the 2022 season, Bridgewater signed with the Dolphins on a one-year, $6.5 million contract. Miami’s head coach at the time, Mike McDaniel, had indicated that the team was looking for a veteran mentor to Tagovailoa, who could also step in if Tagovailoa missed time. McDaniel would later reveal that despite not mentioning him by name, he was specifically referencing Bridgewater.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa did wind up getting hurt as he missed four games that season due to concussions. However, Bridgewater also had his own injury issues that season, as he appeared in five games, but suffered a concussion in Week 5 and a broken finger late in the season.
His broken finger injury in Week 17 led the team to rely on rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson during their season finale against the Jets. Miami won that matchup and clinched a playoff berth, and while Bridgewater was healthy enough to be active, McDaniel went with Thompson as their starting quarterback. Following the season, Bridgewater would not be re-signed as he signed with the Lions for the first time.
Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks
The Dolphins’ current quarterback situation looks much different, but one thing that remains unchanged is that the team will not have a quarterback competition. While the coaching staff and front office may say the team will have competition at every position, Willis’ contract indicates that he will be the team’s starter in the 2026 season.
Regarding a possible competition at the position, Sports Illustrated’s Alain Poupart said, “New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has described various scenarios for how the quarterback room might look — Quinn Ewers, multiple draft picks, a free agent signing — but at the forefront of his explanations is always the idea of competition.
And it makes sense. Competition is good because competition can make players better.
But it’s also bad.
It’s like the old football saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. If you have competition at quarterback, it means you don’t have an answer already in place, and you’re searching for one.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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