Any chance of an upset is officially over. The Miami Dolphins enter this week of game preparations for Sunday’s contest against the New England Patriots and Brian Flores has officially announced the winner of Miami’s quarterback competition. Miami lopped the first contender off of the roster over the weekend with the decision to cut quarterback Josh Rosen, a surprising move that left the Dolphins with just two quarterbacks on the roster.
The wily old veteran has once again come out on top: Flores announced this morning during his press availability that veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as the team’s starter against the Patriots next Sunday.
The decision isn’t necessarily a surprise — Fitzpatrick has had several key variables in his favor throughout the course of the offseason. With the restricted reps due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Fitzpatrick was widely considered to have a leg up on the competition thanks to his familiarity with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s playbook. Gailey and Fitzpatrick has paired up for five mutual season in the NFL before, so Fitzpatrick knows this offense like the back of his hand.
Add in Tagovailoa’s rookie curve and the clear divide in performance throughout the course of training camp and the decision for the Dolphins was clear: start Fitzpatrick. Given how well Fitzpatrick played against New England in Week 17, the Dolphins should be optimistic of their chances to secure another win against Brian Flores’ former team. Miami’s roster is much improved and while the Patriots’ roster is overhauled, the team is missing a great deal of players who are typically staples for the Patriots.
Fitzpatrick figures to hold the quarterback job as long as the team stays competitive. If the Dolphins start slow, we may see Flores more willing to look for a spark elsewhere with Tagovailoa. But, for now, this job is still Ryan Fitzpatrick’s.