Free agent quarterback Zach Wilson reached agreement on a one-year, $6 million, fully guaranteed deal that could grow to $10 million with the Miami Dolphins, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.
The move brings Wilson, drafted No. 2 overall by the New York Jets in 2021, back to the AFC East and gives the Dolphins a veteran backup behind starter Tua Tagovailoa.
Wilson spent last season with the Denver Broncos, who traded a sixth-round pick to the Jets for Wilson and a seventh-rounder last April. The Broncos believed he could bounce back from his struggles in New York.
Wilson, 25, was in a three-way competition for the starting job with rookie Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham throughout Denver’s offseason program and early in training camp. Coach Sean Payton then pared it down to a two-man competition between Nix and Stidham a week into camp.
In Denver’s preseason finale, Wilson threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for a score, a performance that showed the Broncos that he’d be unlikely to clear waivers if they wanted to add him to their practice squad. So, Wilson remained on the roster as the third quarterback for the season.
Wilson’s pregame workouts with quarterback coach Davis Webb, when he consistently flashed the arm strength that made him the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, became a must watch. Advance scouts from other teams could be seen keeping an eye on Wilson’s work before games late in the season.
Wilson did not play a snap in 2024, but Payton consistently lauded his work with the hope “you put a guy in position to make a lot of money.” Wilson was also credited, by both Payton and Webb, as being a key component to Nix’s development as a rookie. Nix called Wilson a reliable voice and sounding board given his 33 starts in the league, including 13 as a rookie with the Jets.
But his tenure in New York was tumultuous. Wilson had a 12-21 record as a starter, had more interceptions (25) than touchdown passes (23) and completed only 57% of his passes, finishing 35th out of 36 qualified passers in QBR (33.6) over his three years. He saw his leadership ability questioned at times, and after the 2023 season, the Jets granted him permission to speak to other teams about a potential trade, leading to the deal with Denver just ahead of last April’s NFL draft.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold contributed to this report.
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