MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins cut quarterback Mike White on Sunday, leaving Skylar Thompson as Tua Tagovailoa’s likely backup for the 2024 season.
White backed up Tagovailoa in 2023 after signing a two-year contract with the Dolphins last offseason. He appeared in six games in 2023, with 74 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception.
White and Thompson split reps throughout the preseason as they competed for the No. 2 spot. White completed 20 of 43 passes for 179 yards with no touchdowns. Thompson was 35 of 61 for 346 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Thompson appeared to secure the backup spot when he came in and directed two touchdown drives with 190 yards passing in Miami’s preseason finale loss to Tampa Bay.
Thompson, a seventh-round pick by Miami in 2022, got plenty of experience his rookie season because of injuries to Tagovailoa and then-backup Teddy Bridgewater. Thompson played in seven regular-season games and made three starts his rookie year, including the Dolphins first-round playoff game against Buffalo.
“With Skylar, he got the opportunity to play early in his career and I thought, as a rookie, he demonstrated some aggressiveness and ability to make plays in this league,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after Miami’s preseason finale. “It’s been about, since then, training his craft and really owning the quarterback position within the offense, and I thought this preseason, he’s exhibited growth and what that means. It means you are the leader of the unit, that you have to orchestrate play calls, decision making, all of those things, and I thought he took a good step forward tonight.”
White, drafted by Dallas in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, spent two seasons with the New York Jets before joining the Dolphins.
The Dolphins also released tight end Jody Fortson Jr., who signed with Miami in March, and placed receiver Anthony Schwartz on injured reserve after he was helped off the field against Tampa Bay with what appeared to be a left knee injury.
NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
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