Miami Dolphins backup QB spot on the line Saturday against Commanders

With the preseason schedule reduced to just three games, players have even less of an opportunity to make an impression on their coaches in live action. If the first preseason game is any indication, the Miami Dolphins coaching staff has a difficult decision to make regarding the backup quarterback spot – and not because of stellar play from the candidates.

Tua Tagovailoa is the Dolphins starting quarterback, and that’s not in question. The team recently gave him a massive extension and is tied to him for the foreseeable future. Tagovailoa entered last season with many wondering if he could survive a full season after suffering multiple concussions the season prior. Tagovailoa put those fears to bed, starting all 17 games for the team for the first time in his young career.

Still, football is a brutal sport, and backups have to be ready at a moment’s notice. That’s likely what makes the Dolphins’ backup quarterback battle so intriguing to NFL.com writer Eric Edholm. Edholm recently wrote one thing to watch for each team in their second preseason game, and for Miami he has his eyes on this battle.

Both Skylar Thompson and Mike White have experience, but neither was sharp in the Dolphins’ first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons . Thompson went just 8-for-19 for less than 100 yards. He did throw a touchdown, but he also threw an interception.

White, on the other hand, played the entire second half against Atlanta, yet completed just four passes for all of 26 yards. Neither quarterback’s performance instilled any confidence in fans that Miami has a competent backup should Tagovailoa miss time this season – and it likely didn’t instill confidence in the coaching staff, either.

The Dolphins aren’t likely to keep three quarterbacks going into the season, and Tagovailoa is likely to play a significant amount in the team’s third and final preseason game next week. That means Saturday’s game against the Washington Commanders could be the last opportunity Thompson and White have to separate themself from the other and secure their spot on the team’s final 53-man roster.