Zach Wilson hasn’t been a Miami Dolphin for very long, but he’s already garnering praise from his new quarterbacks coach.
Ahead of the start of offseason organized team activities, or OTAs, Darrell Bevell spoke about Wilson, who signed with the Dolphins in free agency.
“He’s got a gifted arm, and so he’s he’s special with that,” Bevell said, per the Palm Beach Post. “We’re continuing to work on the footwork. And then how to not always have to rely on the arm. And then to be able to use your feet to stay on time. To go with where your feet are telling you that you need to go with the ball.”
The former No. 2 overall pick still “has the talent,” according to Bevell.
Bevell said he’s noticed Wilson’s eagerness and humility and that the former BYU quarterback has asked Bevell what he can do to improve.
“In every way, I’ve been really pleasantly pleased and pleasantly surprised by how good he’s been,” Bevell said.
The opportunity to be coached by Bevell and head coach Mike McDaniel is one of the reasons Wilson signed with Miami, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“I think it’s going to be a great fit just with what I’m looking for, the type of offense, the amount of information I’ll be able to learn from these guys. I think it couldn’t have been a better match,” Wilson said.
Will Zach Wilson see the field in 2025?
Following a year spent as the third-string quarterback in Denver, Wilson was signed by the Dolphins to be the backup to starter Tua Tagovailoa.
Per Bevell, Wilson and Tagovailoa appear to be coexisting well, noting that he loves “the way that (Wilson’s) come into the room.”
“I love the interactions the two of them have been able to have. They’ve had some good conversations, some real conversations, you know, talking about some of their past experiences and things like that,” he said.
The team’s quarterbacks room also includes seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers.
Tagovailoa has a history of missing time due to injuries.
Since becoming the full-time starter in 2021, Tagovailoa has only made it through one season without missing a game. He missed six games last season and four in both 2022 and 2021.
Only time will tell if and how often Wilson sees the field this season. But Bevell wants Wilson to be prepared if he does have to step in. He said backups have to understand their role but also “still be hungry.”
“I want my guys to have that mentality, don’t go down. If you go down, I’m gonna be ready to go in there, right? So that’s the mentality I want all my backups to have. And I feel that from him and hopefully we’re gonna be able to help him get better. And hopefully he never has to play,” he said.