Dolphins work out QBs Bailey Zappe, Austin Reed

Willis will be out for at least four games with a core muscle injury. 2025 sixth-round pick Kyle McCord set to start in Week 10 with Brady Cook, a second-year UDFA who started four games for the Jets as a rookie, primed for backup duties. Miami does not have another quarterback on the roster and will likely add depth this week in case of more injuries.

Zappe, 27, was a Patriots fourth-round pick in 2022. He started eight games across his first two years with solid rookie numbers that collapsed under more scrutiny the following year. He was waived during final roster cuts in 2024 and eventually landed in Cleveland, where he started the last game of the regular season. The Browns kept Zappe on their practice squad last year but he did not appear in a game. He spent this offseason with the Jets – making his signing in Miami a reunion with Cook – but was released in September.

Reed, 26, signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2024 and spent the season on the practice squad. He was waived during final roster cuts last year and led the UFL in passing touchdowns as a member of the Dallas Renegades earlier this year. Reed then signed with the Ravens during training camp after an injury to Skylar Thompson, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, and briefly returned to Baltimore after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both landed on IR.

Zappe’s experience would appear to give him a leg up in a competition against Reed, but the Dolphins could opt to add both to give them extra insurance.