A progress report on the Miami Dolphins’ two quarterbacks behind Tua and their stories
Amid the enthusiasm about Tua Tagovailoa’s appreciable improvement, something else positive is happening behind center for the Miami Dolphins through eight practices of training camp:
New backup Jacoby Brissett has been really impressive.
And Reid Sinnett, the developmental third-string quarterback, also has had some very good moments.
Brissett has been as sharp as the Dolphins could have hoped. His intermediate and deep throws have been mostly on target. More than a handful of completions have traveled at least 40 yards in the air, including three to Isaiah Ford.
He has stood up in the face of a pass rush and delivered the ball with precision and authority.
Dating to 2018, current Dolphins coach Brian Flores has been effusive in his praise of Brissett. And he did again this past week.
“Very bright,” Flores said. “Loves to plays. Loves to watch film. He’s a team-first guy. You see him in there and he’s talking to defensive guys, talking to offensive linemen, talking to defensive linemen, he’s talking to specialists. I think he just embodies a lot of things we’re looking for. There’s a lot of things to like there.”
And Flores was just getting started.
“He’s a guy’s guy,” Flores said. “Everyone kind of gravitates to him. I think his ability to fit in quickly with a lot of different guys – he’s been in the league a few years, but that’s kind of been seamless. He just loves to play and wants to help guys improve…. It’s just been a good fit so far.”
The Dolphins did not necessarily want another ambitious backup such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, who very much wanted to start and might get an opportunity to do that in Washington, where he signed for one year and $10 million.
But the Dolphins never asked Brissett if he would be content being a backup, without much expectation of starting barring injury.
“No,” Brissett said when asked if that issue came up. “The conversation was just to come in here, work hard, compete and be a good teammate. And I think that’d be my situation no matter what.”
Brissett —who signed for one year for $5 million, with the ability to earn as much as $2.5 million more in incentives — has a higher career passing rating (84.1) than Fttzpatrick’s 82.3.
Brissett went from really, really good in the first half of 2019 to well below average during the second half, a plunge that propelled the Colts to replace him with Phillip Rivers as their starter in 2020.
In leading the Colts to a 5-2 start in 2019, Brissett completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,590 yards, 14 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 99.3 passer rating.
But then he sustained an MCL sprain in Game 8. During the final eight games, he had four touchdowns, three interceptions, a 56.4 percent completion percentage and a 75 passer rating. The Colts acquired Rivers to replace him as their starter that offseason.
Last season, Brissett completed just 2 of 8 passes for 17 yards in very limited duty, then joined the Dolphins in free agency.
During the two years that Brissett started (15 games each in 2017 and 2019), Pro Football Focus rated him 30th and 31st among quarterbacks, and his teams were 4-11 and 7-8. But he was 19th in QBR in 2019.
Brissett, who attended Dwyer High in West Palm Beach, has enjoyed playing in his home region.
“Obviously being close to home and a lot of my friends that have not been able to watch me play and come out here to a practice… has been good so far,” he said.
It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins use him in short-yardage situations.
Backing up Rivers for the Colts, he came off the bench for three rushing touchdowns last season. He was sacked an NFL-high 57 times in 2017 but has rushed for 583 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns in his career.
He smiles about now being the oldest person in the quarterback room.
That’s “shocking,” he said. “And [28], that’s not even old, so don’t tell me I’m old!”
Colts coach Frank Reich said, a couple of years ago, that Brissett is “an elite leader. The guys know this guy has authentic, deep leadership qualities that you would stack up against anybody in any industry.”
As for Sinnett, the second-year undrafted player from San Diego University impressed the Dolphins last fall to the point that Miami didn’t import a third developmental quarterback to challenge him this year. He has good size (6-4), a strong arm and has delivered several nice throws of 20 yards or more, to Kirk Merritt, Ford, Kai Locksley and others.
He’s likely headed to the practice squad.
“Reid is smart and done a good job learning the offense,” Flores said. “He has taken command of his group, made some nice throws and is working hard and improving on a daily basis.”
Sinnett had no Power 5 offers coming out of high school in Johnston, Iowa — he didn’t even have a Rivals.com page, which virtually every prospect gets — and said “I had to pretty much beg them to let me go” to San Diego University, where he spent one year as a starter, throwing for 3528 yards with 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 174 yards and six touchdowns.
Tampa Bay gave him $152,000 guaranteed after he went undrafted 16 months ago but released him early last September to sign Josh Rosen, who had been cut by the Dolphins. The Dolphins signed Sinnett to the practice squad six days later, and Miami has now invested nearly a year in him.
“I learned so much in the West Coast offense [at San Diego] and I had great coaches there and I think that’s what ultimately got me an opportunity here was great coaching and being able to absorb as much knowledge as I could,” he said.
Beyond the coaches, Sinnett also feels fortunate having received mentoring from Dolphins legend Dan Marino and veteran quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick (last season) and now Brissett.
Marino, he said, “has been awesome. The first day I got here, sitting in meetings with Tua, he pops his head in and asks if he can sit down and [I think to myself] that’s Dan Marino! It’s been really cool having him in the room and hearing his insights and I love hearing him talk about how the game has changed. He’s a great part of being in our room. He loves the phrase ‘pick a guy and let it rip.’ We’re trying to do that a little bit.”
Sinnett also appreciates how Fitzpatrick spent extra time with him last season to teach him nuances of the position.
“Spending time with Fitzy was amazing last year; he was so big for Tua and I to learn from,” Sinnett said. “Coming off the field and Fitzy giving me advice was so big. I got coaching constantly, which is exactly what I wanted. That was huge for my development. Now having another perspective with Jacoby and [new quarterbacks coach and former NFL QB] Charlie [Frye] is awesome.
“We’re now taking some things from old New England and Indy [offenses]. What [Brissett] has been able to bring to the room has been special. He’s a football junkie.... I get limited reps so I try to take advantage of watching those guys [Tagovailoa and Brissett] and find ways to get better.”
NEWS NOTES
Ford, who has had a very good camp, said he was a “little surprised” that the Dolphins signed him before camp because the team already had 13 receivers....
Jesse Davis has been wearing a compression sleeve on his right leg to “manage swelling” but said “there’s nothing structurally wrong. It’s nothing serious.” The Dolphins have been having him sit out parts of practice but Davis said he won’t miss any games.
He spent a fifth consecutive practice as the first-team right tackle on Friday after spending the offseason program at left guard.
“I feel pretty comfortable there, played there before,” he said of right tackle.
Rookie Liam Eichenberg spent a fifth practice in a row at left guard.
Please click here for our Friday report with news on the Xavien Howard situation, including telling quotes from Brian Flores, and Flores’ comments on other issues and a practice update from Friday’s walk-through.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 4:38 PM.
