The Miami Dolphins are releasing quarterback Mike White, a source informed The Associated Press on Sunday. This decision positions Skylar Thompson as the expected backup to Tua Tagovailoa for the 2024 season.
The source spoke on condition of anonymity since the team has not officially announced White’s release.
White served as Tagovailoa’s backup in 2023 after signing a two-year contract with the Dolphins last offseason. During the 2023 season, he played in six games, recording 74 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Throughout the preseason, White and Thompson shared reps while competing for the backup role. White completed 20 of 43 passes for 179 yards with no touchdowns, whereas Thompson finished 35 of 61 for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
Thompson appeared to solidify his backup position in the Dolphins’ preseason finale against Tampa Bay, where he directed two touchdown drives and accumulated 190 passing yards.
Selected by Miami in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, Thompson gained significant playing time during his rookie season due to injuries to Tagovailoa and former backup Teddy Bridgewater. He participated in seven regular-season games and made three starts, including the Dolphins’ playoff game against Buffalo.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel remarked after the preseason finale, “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. 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.
