Arguably the biggest position battle the Miami Dolphins had on the roster heading into their final preseason game was at the backup quarterback position. Skylar Thompson and Mike White had been battling it out all training camp, to unspectacular results. So much so that there’s been significant chatter of the Dolphins potentially trading for a backup instead of relying on either player.
Those questions and rumors may have been put to rest, as Skylar Thompson finally flashed his potential and made a strong case for him being the one to come out on top of the battle. Thompson went 19-for-27 on the night for 190 yards and two touchdowns, while suffering from multiple dropped passes on third or fourth down that could have significantly boosted his numbers.
It wasn’t all great for Thompson, though, and that could give Dolphins' coaches some pause. On the Dolphins final drive of the game, Thompson had the wheels come off a bit. He missed a tough throw over the middle that could have been a big gain. The very next play, Thompson threw a bad ball to the receiver. One play later, Thompson telegraphed a pass over the middle that resulted in an interception, ending any chance Miami had of a comeback win.
But preseason games aren’t about box score statistics. Stats are nice, but it’s about how the players look during their action, and that is where Thompson clearly separated himself from White. White started the game for the Dolphins, and the offense looked completely uninspired while he was at the helm. White finished the night 5 of 9 for just 37 yards, and one sack.
More than the numbers, though, it was clear from the start that White didn’t have “the juice” Friday night. The Dolphins offense barely moved while White was on the field, and took on a completely different look and feel the moment Thompson stepped on the field to take over. And take over he did. Thompson looked in command of the offense, making several nice throws, escaping pressure to extend plays on multiple occasions, and tossing multiple touchdowns.
Miami has been linked to a number of different backup quarterbacks, including Dallas Cowboys’ Trey Lance and Cleveland Browns’ Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Thompson’s play against the Buccaneers should have shown enough to make the Dolphins feel okay with their situation at quarterback without making a move to bring someone else in.
We’ll see what happens when the final roster cuts come by next Tuesday, but at this point with everything we’ve seen in training camp and the preseason, it would be a surprise if Thompson doesn’t make the cut.