The Miami Dolphins’ matchup with the San Francisco 49ers brings more than just another game to the conversation. It also puts one of the NFL’s biggest quarterback what-ifs back in focus, with Brock Purdy serving as the reminder that the draft can turn on a decision that looks small at the time and enormous later.
Purdy’s first real chance with San Francisco came in that game, and he played well enough that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan knew they had their guy. He has been in the starting lineup ever since he replaced Jimmy Garoppolo that day.
That path looks even more striking when you line it up against the Dolphins’ choice in that same part of the draft. Purdy was the 262nd overall pick out of Iowa State, the final selection in the 2022 draft and the ninth quarterback taken. Skylar Thompson went eighth among quarterbacks that year, landing with Miami at 247th overall as the team’s seventh-round pick.
The comparison is hard to avoid. Thompson’s career has gone about the way you might expect from a seventh-round quarterback, while Purdy has become one of the league’s rare late-round success stories. He is not Tom Brady, but turning a seventh-round pick into a full-time starter, and maybe a franchise quarterback, on a perennial contender is a major result.
That naturally leads to the question of how much Miami missed by taking Thompson instead of Purdy. At the same time, the answer is not quite that simple. Purdy was not viewed as a seventh-round steal at the time; it just worked out that way.
There is also the issue of environment, which matters a lot more than people like to admit. Purdy stepped into a situation with a strong supporting cast, a strong coaching staff and an organization that knew exactly how to use him. Thompson, by contrast, got four starts for Miami - against the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, in the season finale against the New York Jets, in the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills and in 2024 against the Seattle Seahawks - and did not do enough to stick around after his third season.
Purdy earned a massive contract extension in May 2025, but he still is not the kind of quarterback people place in the elite tier. Even so, he looks like the right quarterback for the 49ers.
That is the real lesson for Dolphins fans looking ahead, whether they are daydreaming about one of the top college quarterbacks, already thinking about Manning or hoping Miami does less for Dante Moore. A team can win without a superstar quarterback.
Thursday night adds another layer to that idea. Josh Allen is special, but finding a Josh Allen is not easy.
That is why Malik Willis deserves a look with the Dolphins, with the hope that Miami may not need a Josh Allen to win a Super Bowl title or at least contend for one. If Willis can become Brock Purdy-like for the Dolphins, that could be enough to keep the team from chasing a quarterback at the top of the 2027 draft.
Willis still has to reach that level, of course. But there is one more detail worth remembering from the 2022 quarterback class: Willis was in it too, and before that draft Tom Pelissero asked NFL executives, coaches and scouts to sort out the quarterbacks in that class.
In Other News...
Tua Tagovailoa Faces Another Brutal Question About His NFL Future
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For Miami, the bigger picture is hard to ignore anytime Tagovailoas health comes up, even if there is no official discussion about his future with the team right now. These are the kinds of injury questions that linger around a quarterback's career and make every new setback feel like more than a short-term roster note, especially when the depth chart is already forcing changes behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Got A Small Opening Against McCaffrey And The 49ers
Jake Tonges season is over just one game into it, and the 49ers are already adjusting on offense. The tight end is headed to injured reserve after suffering an MCL injury in the opener, a loss that trims some of the formation flexibility San Francisco likes to lean on with its 12 and 22 personnel looks.
For Miami, the timing matters. Facing a 49ers attack built around Christian McCaffrey, the Dolphins can at least take some comfort in knowing one piece of the opponents multi-tight-end structure is gone, which could make life a little more straightforward for Miamis linebackers when it comes to keying on the run game. It is a small opening, but against San Francisco, small openings are worth noticing. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Quarterback Plan Is Taking Shape In A Crowded AFC East
As the Dolphins continue sorting through their quarterback plans in a crowded AFC East, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has been talking about how to get Malik Willis comfortable within the offense. The challenge is a familiar one for a young quarterback: finding the right mix between getting the ball out quickly and still having the freedom to extend plays when the pocket breaks down. For Miami, it is another sign that the quarterback picture is still being defined as the division calendar starts to take shape.
The bigger landscape around the division only adds to the intrigue. Jets coach Aaron Glenn said kicker Jason Sanders will start again this week, while also offering injury updates on several players, and New York is carrying four tight ends on the active roster as their roles in the offense expand. For Miami, every detail matters in a division where roster decisions and quarterback development can shift the balance quickly, and the next few weeks should help show just how far Willis and the Dolphins can push this plan. [Read more 🡒]