Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel opens up on decision that led to Mike White’s release
The Dolphins designed their training camp structure for reserve quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and ex-Jet Mike White to provide a truer test for what head coach Mike McDaniel described as the “adversity” they could face in said role.
“My stress comes in not allowing guys to compete on the field and to have unknowns. As a coaching staff, we really tried to create a environment that had a little more connectivity to the adversity that is natural to a backup quarterback,” McDaniel said. “In that, we got a ton of evaluation pieces, a lot of which were: ‘How do you respond to adversity and how do you make a play when maybe one isn’t there?’”
After weeks of camp and three preseason games, McDaniel and his staff felt Thompson handled those situations better and it led to Miami releasing White before Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline.
The Dolphins will save $3.5 million with the maneuver, per ESPN, which makes Thompson’s performance all the more impressive since Miami had already financially committed to White.
“Doing that over the entirety of the camp, I just thought what I saw in practice — I wasn’t surprised by what I saw in the game from Skylar. That was the culmination,” McDaniel said. “But you find out a lot if you keep the competition open to the last game, there’s your last opportunity to and Skylar impressed us with his technique, fundamentals and decision-making. What I saw was a guy that came in during the second quarter and had and took absolutely full advantage of every opportunity.”
The Dolphins kept both White and Thompson on the roster last year, but they essentially didn’t need either with starter Tua Tagovailoa starting all 17 games for the AFC wild-card team.
White signed a two-year, $8 million deal before the 2023 season to be the primary reserve after impressing during his starts with the Jets, and he only threw six passes in relief.
Thompson did not appear in a game after playing in seven games during the 2022 season after being selected in the seventh round of that year’s draft.
The Dolphins held a true competition, and Thompson won the battle both with his on-field production and how he inspired his teammates.
Thompson threw for 346 yards and hurled three touchdowns and two interceptions in preseason action, while White tallied 179 yards but did not throw a touchdown pass.
“I saw (Thompson’s) teammates believe in him,” McDaniel said, per Pro Football Network.
The Dolphins’ backup job holds extra weight since Tagovailoa had played in no more than 13 games in each of his first three years before last year’s full season.
Miami opens the season at home against the Jaguars on Sept. 8.
“I have tremendous respect for both of those guys, for Mike White and Skylar,” Tagovailoa said. “To see his growth from his rookie year has been something … really cool, I think.
“In those situations, it’s tough because someone has to win, someone has to lose. … Mike knows where I stand with him, the things he’s done to help us last year and also this year, as well.”
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