The Miami Dolphins offense opened its preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, lacking luster of spark and always behind. Quarterback Mike White in his first start of the preseason was playing through a sour note. Shortly midway through the second quarter, he exited off the field for the night. The South Florida native finished with 37 passing yards off of five-to-nine completed passes.
That second quarter would be the last time Miami would see the South Florida native take the field. White was released by the Dolphins Sunday, according to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The decision left quarterback Skylar Thompson as the lone backup to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Why Dolphins Made the Right Choice With Crucial Roster Battle
How Miami Benefits Financially and in the Long Term
The decision to release White saves Miami $3.5 million in cap space toward the season. This leverage will provide the Dolphins options to go forward with more talent in free agency. At the moment, injury concerns have harmed the teams’ depth on both sides of the ball.
Offensive line, one of the many positions dealing with injuries, could benefit from this. Since the start of training camp, a handful of offensive linemen have gone down, including first-string center Aaron Brewer. The starter is listed day-to-day with a right-hand injury, according to head coach Mike McDaniel.
White’s contract before his release was originally a two-year, $8 million deal. Instead of paying for the second half of his contract, Miami went the cheaper route with Thompson. The former seventh-round pick is still on his rookie contract worth $3.74 million. Thompson will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. The option to keep him over White guarantees a long-term solution at backup that can continue to develop with Tagovailoa.
Thompson’s play was Night and Day Compared to White
White didn’t showcase a lot of potential development throughout training camp and the preseason. Thompson, 27, throughout training camp and preseason play, showed growth and produced electric momentum when on the field. Despite falling behind on three consecutive depth charts to White, the third-year quarterback always received more snaps in practice and started earlier than White in the preseason.
Thompson orchestrated the offense down the field for a 70-yard drive that led to a 20-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field to tight end Hayden Rucci in his first drive of Friday’s game. It may have been the closing statement to the Dolphins’ backup quarterback competition.
Miami’s preseason finale, which they lost 24-14 to Tampa Bay, could now be seen as the nail in the coffin for White’s time with the Dolphins. He looked stiff in the pocket and didn’t reach the red zone once against the Bucs. In contrast, Thompson looked poised and had fun throughout Friday’s 24-14 loss.
“Had a lot of fun tonight,” Thompson said. “I thought it was a great rep for me coming into the game not starting…I thought that was a great opportunity for me tonight. I had a lot of fun and that sums up everything kinda for me tonight.”
Thompson’s patience in finding the open receiver and creating opportunities for the Dolphins to come back late Friday showed his growth and it didn’t go unnoticed. McDaniels said he thought Thompson did a “great job tonight”, and believed he was competitive and made some plays that got the Dolphins going.
This comment by the head coach was a common trend throughout the preseason for Thompson. The Kansas State alum finished the preseason with 346 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. White in comparison had only 179 passing yards to show for.
Thompson’s Last Words From the Preseason
Thompson closed the gap to 17-14 against the Buccaneers late in the third quarter. He lofted a one-yard touchdown pass to the left side of the end zone to wide receiver Kyric McGowan. Unfortunately for Miami, Tampa Bay answered back with a touchdown the next drive and iced the game with an interception by Bucs linebacker Antonio Grier Jr. on Thompson.
The 6-foot-2-inch quarterback ended the night 19/27 passing, 190 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a quarterback rating of 99.3. The game may not have ended the way Thompson wanted, being on the losing side. However, he left everything on the table with no regrets.
“There was a lot of plays tonight that I felt growth, and I felt the reward of putting time in to get better,” Thompson said. “I think everyone can relate, in every aspect of life, you put time into something and feel the results, feel that payoff, it’s a pretty cool thing.”
Thompson said his mindset on getting better day by day is something he trusts every day, even if he doesn’t feel it. He focused on making the 53-man roster since camp started. Even being on the practice squad wasn’t even a question for him.
Thompson will now look toward the start of the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sept. 8. Miami will continue making decisions toward the NFL’s 53-man roster cut deadline Tuesday.
Main Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
