The Dolphins’ quarterback room took another strange turn Monday, and the move left plenty of fans wondering why Miami bothered.
After Sunday brought a cleaner answer behind Malik Willis, the team still added another arm when it claimed former Jets backup Brady Cook off waivers. That came on top of the earlier deal for Kyle McCord, which gave Miami a backup after Quinn Ewers had been struggling. Mark Gronowski was expected to return to the practice squad, leaving the Dolphins with an emergency third quarterback option.
Cook’s résumé in 2025 didn’t exactly jump off the page. He started four games for the Jets and lost all four, while throwing seven interceptions against just two touchdowns. Still, Miami’s front office clearly saw something worth betting on.
On Monday, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan laid out his reasoning.
"Brady's the ultimate competitor. Tough as nails, got a lot of swag, if you will.
Guys follow him." Sullivan said about his new QB.
"You watch what he did at Missouri, and his time there he elevated a program that maybe at the time wasn't the most talented, they played well and I think a lot of that had to do with him. And again, I think it upgraded our room."
The logic is easy enough to follow from a roster-management standpoint. Gronkowski wasn’t ready to move up to the 53 in an emergency role, so Miami wanted another quarterback on the active roster. But for fans who understand that carrying a third quarterback means one less spot elsewhere, the decision still feels clunky.
And given how Cook played last season, it’s not hard to see why the reaction has been skeptical. One message from Mike Luciano of The Jet Press summed up the mood around Cook’s time in New York, and the feeling wasn’t exactly admiration.
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