Dolphins reportedly have QB Gardner Minshew ‘on their radar’
It’s no secret the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one of the Miami Dolphins’ top concerns heading into 2023, so it should surprise no one that the team is turning over every rock in its pursuit of a backup QB.
But of the 30-plus signal callers in this year’s free agent class, former Philadelphia Eagles QB Gardner Minshew could make a lot of sense in Miami, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
“The name I keep hearing with them is Gardner Minshew,” Jackson said he was told by an anonymous source close to the free agent quarterback market. “Will Minshew - who has been a solid quarterback over 24 NFL starts - be the one the Dolphins pursue when free agency begins Monday? That’s unclear. There are a lot of smokescreens this time of year. But at the very least, I believe he’s on their radar, and he should be.”
Minshew is perhaps the most experienced QB on the open market not named Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz or Baker Mayfield.
The 26-year-old Minshew has an 8-16 record as a starting quarterback in stints with the Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s thrown for 6,632 yards, 44 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions with a passer rating of 93.1.
The Washington State alum could be a solid Plan B should Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple head injuries in 2022, suffer a similar fate next season. The Dolphins also have 2022 rookie Skylar Thompson under contract in 2023.
He appeared in seven games including the team’s 34-31 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Thompson ended the year with 754 passing yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions, and the Dolphins won just one of his three starts.
Other potential backup QBs Miami could consider include Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Cooper Rush and Mason Rudolph.
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