Top 5 Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks of All Time

The Dolphins have produced two Hall of Fame quarterbacks whose careers spanned more than half of the franchise's 57-year history. However, these two stars weren't the only quarterbacks of note. In this article, I'll reveal the top five quarterbacks in Dolphins history.

Dan Marino is the greatest quarterback in the history of the Dolphins, and it will take a special talent to dismount him from the top spot / © ROBERT DEUTSCH, USA TODAY

Who Are the Greatest Quarterbacks in Dolphins History?

In the 1970s, the Dolphins were one of the most successful NFL franchises, and much of that success could be attributed to the Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm of the offense, Bob Griese. The franchise then remained one of the top teams throughout most of the 1980s and '90s as another Hall of Famer, Dan Marino, built a legacy as the most prolific passer in the sport's history. Over the Dolphins' first 34 seasons, the franchise made 19 playoff appearances and won a pair of Super Bowls behind offenses powered primarily by these two Hall of Famers.

In the seasons where neither Griese nor Marino was guiding the offense, several other quarterbacks led the team through memorable postseason runs.

Since Marino's retirement, however, Miami has made the playoffs only five times and won just a single postseason game—all while shuffling through more than 20 starting quarterbacks. The franchise has been trying to find a new quarterback who will lead them to another glorious stretch of success—and in fact, they hope they've done so with 2020 first-round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa.

A list of the five greatest Dolphins quarterbacks of all time follows, including a handful of honorable mentions. You'll also find franchise records among quarterbacks, as well as statistics for every quarterback that has ever played for the Dolphins since the AFL franchise was born in 1966.

Selection Criteria

• Legacy Honors (Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, retired number, etc.)
• Single Season Honors (MVP, All-Pro, Pro Bowl, league leader, etc.)
• On-Field Success (winning percentage, winning seasons, playoff appearances, etc.)
• Longevity (years with the Dolphins, percentage of career with the Dolphins, etc.)

Only games played with the Dolphins are factored into this list, so while Bernie Kosar is a prime candidate for a list about the Browns, his two starts and 987 yards with Miami won't make the cut here.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill attempts a pass in a 2018 game against the Jaguars / © Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

5. Ryan Tannehill

• Years With the Dolphins: 2012–18
• Regular Season Record: 42–46

Ryan Tannehill was the first quarterback selected by the Dolphins in the first round of a draft since Dan Marino, but he looked like he could handle that pressure in his rookie season. He won his second start, threw for a franchise rookie record 431 yards in Week 4 against the Cardinals and by season's end, sat atop the team's rookie record book for passing yards (3,294), attempts (484) and completions (282).

He eclipsed the 4,000-yard passing mark in 2014 and '15. His best game in those seasons came against the Texans in 2015, when he posted a perfect passer rating and completed his first 18 passes. Tannehill helped put the Dolphins in position to make the 2016 postseason, but he was unable to play in the playoffs due to a torn ACL, an injury that caused him to miss all of the '17 season, as well. He didn't play a full season in 2018, but he left fans with a fond memory when he completed the Miami Miracle pass that led to a double-lateral and touchdown as time expired to upset the Patriots.

Tannehill was traded to the Titans before the 2019 season, leaving him third all-time in team history with 20,434 yards and 123 touchdowns. He holds the franchise record among quarterbacks with more than 600 attempts by completing 62.8% of his passes (1,829 of 2,911).

Ryan Tannehill: Dolphins Stats

Year	G	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
2012	16	16	7–9	282	484	3294	12	13
2013	16	16	8–8	355	588	3913	24	17
2014	16	16	8–8	392	590	4045	27	12
2015	16	16	6–10	363	586	4208	24	12
2016	13	13	8–5	261	389	2995	19	12
2018	11	11	5–6	176	274	1979	17	9

4. Don Strock

• Years With the Dolphins: 1974–87
• Regular Season Record: 14–6
• Playoff Appearances: 1978–79, 1981–82, '84

Don Strock is among the longest-tenured Dolphins of all time. He spent most of his time backing up Hall of Fame quarterbacks Bob Griese and Dan Marino, but when he was called upon to start, he knew how to deliver. Strock was a member of two Super Bowl squads and posted a 16–4 mark in his starts for Miami. In the regular season, he completed 388 of 688 passes for 4,613 yards and 39 touchdowns.

The finest game of his career came in a 1981 AFC divisional round playoff game, when he came off the bench and nearly erased Miami's 24–0 deficit against the Chargers. Strock threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns, but the Chargers prevailed 41–38 in overtime in one of the greatest games in NFL history.

Don Strock: Dolphins Stats

Year	G	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
1974	1	0	0–0	0	0	0	0	0
1975	6	3	2–1	26	45	230	2	2
1976	4	1	1–0	21	47	359	3	2
1977	4	0	0–0	2	4	12	0	1
1978	16	7	5–2	72	135	825	12	6
1979	16	4	3–1	56	100	830	6	6
1980	16	2	1–1	30	62	313	1	5
1981	16	1	0–1	79	130	901	6	8
1982	9	0	0–0	30	55	306	2	5
1983	15	2	2–0	34	52	403	4	1
1984	16	0	0–0	4	6	27	0	0
1985	16	0	0–0	7	9	141	1	0
1986	16	0	0–0	14	20	152	2	0
1987	12	0	0–0	13	23	114	0	1

3. Earl Morrall

• Years With the Dolphins: 1972–76
• Regular Season Record: 11–1
• Playoff Appearances: 1972
• Playoff Record: 2–0
• All-Pro: 1972

When Earl Morrall came to the Dolphins in 1972, it was to reunite with coach Don Shula and serve as the backup to future Hall of Famer Bob Griese. Little did anyone know, however, Morrall would become the primary quarterback for the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to complete a 17–0 season.

While Griese recovered from injuries during the 1972 season, Morrall started 11 games and led the Dolphins to a pair of playoff victories. Griese, however, would return for the Super Bowl. In 1975, Morrall started against the Patriots, and at age 41 became the oldest quarterback to win a start. In five seasons with the Dolphins, Morrall completed 153 of 284 passes for 2,335 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Earl Morrall: Dolphins Stats

Year	G	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
1972	14	9	9–0	83	150	1360	11	7
1973	14	1	0–1	17	38	253	0	4
1974	14	1	1–0	17	27	301	2	3
1975	13	1	1–0	26	43	273	3	2
1976	14	0	0–0	10	26	148	1	1

Former Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese observes the team prior to a 2018 game against the Titans / © Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

2. Bob Griese

• Years With the Dolphins: 1967–80
• Regular Season Record: 92-56-3
• Playoff Appearances: 1970–74, '78, '79
• Playoff Record: 6–5
• Pro Bowl: 1967, '68, '70, '71, '73, '74, '77, '78
• All-Pro: 1971, '77
• AFL All-Star: 1967, '68
• Major Awards: Bert Bell Award (1977)
• Legacy Honors: Hall of Fame (1990), Dolphins No. 12 retired, Dolphins Honor Roll

The first great player for the Dolphins was Bob Griese, who was also one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. Griese was known for becoming the first quarterback to lead his team to three straight Super Bowls (1971–73), and he was a fixture on the Miami offense for 14 seasons. He finished his career in 1980 with 92 victories, and he held every major passing record for the franchise at the time of his retirement.

In 1972, Griese's Dolphins were undefeated through four games, but he suffered a broken leg in Week 5. His backup, Earl Morrall, kept Miami undefeated and won a first-round postseason matchup. When Miami struggled to get the offense moving in the conference title game, Griese came off the bench and led them to a win over Pittsburgh—and then threw a touchdown as Miami defeated Washington in Super Bowl VII to complete an undefeated season. Griese and the Dolphins defeated the Vikings in Super Bowl VIII the next season.

Throughout the 1970s, the Dolphins had the second-best winning percentage in the NFL, and much of the credit for that went to Griese's guidance of the offense. He retired after completing 1,926 of 3,429 passes for 25,092 yards and 192 touchdowns, and he is tied for the single-game franchise record of six touchdown passes.

Bob Griese: Dolphins Stats

Year	G	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
1967	12	10	3–7	166	331	2005	15	18
1968	13	13	5-7-1	186	355	2473	21	16
1969	9	9	2-6-1	121	252	1695	10	16
1970	14	14	10–4	142	245	2019	12	17
1971	14	13	9-3-1	145	263	2089	19	9
1972	6	5	5–0	53	97	638	4	4
1973	13	13	12–1	116	218	1422	17	8
1974	13	13	10–3	152	253	1968	16	15
1975	10	10	7–3	118	191	1693	14	13
1976	13	13	5–8	162	272	2097	11	12
1977	14	14	10–4	180	307	2252	22	13
1978	11	9	6–3	148	235	1791	11	11
1979	14	12	7–5	176	310	2160	14	16
1980	5	3	1–2	61	100	790	6	4

Former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino holds his commemorative ball during a halftime ceremony at Sun Life Stadium in 2015 after being named a member of the franchise's all-time team / © Andrew Innerarity-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dan Marino

• Years With the Dolphins: 1983–99
• Regular Season Record: 147–93
• Playoff Appearances: 1983–85, '90, '92, '94, '95, 1997–99
• Playoff Record: 8–10
• Pro Bowl: 1983–87, '91, '92, '94, '95
• All-Pro: 1984–86
• Major Awards: MVP (1984), Offensive Player of the Year (1984), Comeback Player of the Year (1994), Man of the Year (1998)
• Legacy Honors: Hall of Fame (2005), NFL 100th Anniversary Team, Dolphins No. 13 retired, Dolphins Honor Roll

After an extraordinary 17-year career, Dan Marino retired as the best quarterback in Dolphins history as well as the greatest NFL passing quarterback of all time. When he retired in 1999, he held a slew of NFL records—and while many of those have been eclipsed by quarterbacks in the pass-happy offenses that overtook the league, Marino is still regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He pushed the Dolphins into the postseason 10 times.

Marino was a steal for the Dolphins, who selected him at No. 27 in the 1983 NFL Draft. That draft famously saw five other quarterbacks selected in the first round—including fellow Hall of Famers John Elway and Jim Kelly. In 1984, Marino was named the league's MVP after posting the greatest season ever seen by a quarterback. His career-highs of 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns were NFL records at the time and remain franchise records. In the AFC championship game, he threw 421 yards and four touchdowns to advance to his only Super Bowl.

Into the 1990s, Marino continued to keep the Dolphins relevant and regularly in the postseason. He'd become the first quarterback ever to throw for 50,000 yards, as well as the first to fire 400 career touchdowns. Many years likely will go by before a quarterback eclipses Marino's career records with the Dolphins. Throughout 242 games, he completed 4,967 of 8,358 passes for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns. Each of those marks were NFL records when he retired, and all currently rank in the top 10 all-time in league history. Marino played in 18 postseason matchups, completing 385 of 687 passes for 4,510 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Dan Marino: Dolphins Stats

Year	G	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
1983	11	9	7–2	173	296	2210	20	6
1984	16	16	14–2	362	564	5084	48	17
1985	16	16	12–4	336	567	4137	30	21
1986	16	16	8–8	378	623	4746	44	23
1987	12	12	7–5	263	444	3245	26	13
1988	16	16	6–10	354	606	4434	28	23
1989	16	16	8–8	308	550	3997	24	22
1990	16	16	12–4	306	531	3563	21	11
1991	16	16	8–8	318	549	3970	25	13
1992	16	16	11–5	330	554	4116	24	16
1993	5	5	4–1	91	150	1218	8	3
1994	16	16	10–6	385	615	4453	30	17
1995	14	14	9–5	309	482	3668	24	15
1996	13	13	7–6	221	373	2795	17	9
1997	16	16	9–7	319	548	3780	16	11
1998	16	16	10–6	310	537	3497	23	15
1999	11	11	5–6	204	369	2448	12	17

Chad Henne walks to the field during training camp in 2019. From 2008 to '11, he was a quarterback for the Dolphins and became a journeyman backup after leaving Florida / © Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions

Though the best quarterbacks in Dolphins history are featured above, the following players also left an indelible mark on team history.

David Woodley (1980–83)

As the 214th selection in the 1980 NFL Draft, David Woodley was a literal afterthought going into his rookie season. Entering the preseason as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart, Woodley could hardly have envisioned making the team, let alone taking over for a Hall of Famer and eventually leading the Dolphins to a Super Bowl. After a trade and two injuries in 1980, Woodley got the starting job in Week 4, and by Week 7 he was cemented as the starter. He wouldn't relinquish the job until 1983 when Hall of Famer Dan Marino was drafted and took over five games into the season. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, Woodley became the youngest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl. He completed 508 of 961 passes for 5,928 yards and 34 touchdowns with the Dolphins.

Jay Fiedler (2000–04)

Jay Fiedler was tasked with the near-impossible in 2000—take over the starting quarterback role from legendary Hall of Famer Dan Marino, who had retired in 1999 as the NFL's all-time leading passer. Working in tandem with a stellar defense, Fiedler did enough to get the Dolphins into the postseason in each of his first two seasons, and he remains the last Miami quarterback to win a playoff game. In 62 games with the Dolphins, he completed 936 of 1,603 passes for 11,040 yards and 66 touchdowns. All of those marks rank fourth in franchise history.

Chad Henne (2008–11)

The Dolphins drafted Chad Henne with the intention of turning him into the next great quarterback in team history, but he struggled with injuries and never reached superstar status when healthy. He recorded a career-high 416 yards against the Patriots in 2011, but never threw for more than two touchdowns in a game. Still, he's among the statistical career leaders in franchise history, despite only playing for four seasons. In 31 starts, Henne completed 646 of 1,065 passes for 7,114 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick dives past the goal line for a touchdown against the Colts. After starting a game in 2019, he became the 20th player to start for the Dolphins since Hall of Famer Dan Marino retired in 1999 / © Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins Quarterback Facts and Trivia

Here are a handful of facts and trivia about Dolphins quarterbacks.

How many starting quarterbacks have the Dolphins had?

The Dolphins have used 40 starting quarterbacks throughout their 58-year history.

How many quarterbacks has the franchise drafted?

In total, the Dolphins have drafted 29 quarterbacks.

Who is the current starting quarterback for Miami?

Tua Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, and his backup is Mike White.

Who was the first quarterback for the Dolphins?

Dick Wood was the first starting quarterback for the franchise, though he was replaced in the second week of the season by rookie Rick Norton.

How many quarterbacks have the Dolphins had since Dan Marino retired?

Since Dan Marino retired in 1999, the Dolphins have used 25 starting quarterbacks. That's a stark contrast to the franchise's first 34 seasons, when only 16 different quarterbacks were used as a starter.

The Dolphins were spoiled by finding Hall of Famer Bob Griese so early in franchise history. They then doubled down on the spoils when they drafted Marino just three seasons after Griese retired. From Griese's debut season of 1967 to Marino's final season in '99, only three other quarterbacks served as the primary starter for the Dolphins (Earl Morrall in 1972, David Woodley from 1980 to '82, and Scott Mitchell in 1993).

First-Round Draft Picks

The Dolphins have selected five quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL draft, but they have never taken a quarterback with the No. 1 pick.

• 2020: Tua Tagovailoa (No. 5)
• 2012: Ryan Tannehill (No. 8)
• 1983: Dan Marino (No. 23)
• 1967: Bob Griese (No. 4)
• 1966: Rick Norton (No. 2)

Dolphins Quarterback Records

• Career Yards: 61,361, Dan Marino (1983–99)
• Single Season Yards: 5,084, Marino (1984)
• Single Game Yards: 521, Marino (Oct. 23, 1988)
• Career Touchdowns: 420, Marino (1983–99)
• Single Season Touchdowns: 48, Marino (1984)
• Single Game Touchdowns: 6, Marino (Sept. 21, 1986); and Bob Griese (Nov. 24, 1977)
• Career Completion Percentage: 62.8%, Ryan Tannehill (2012–18)
• Single Season Completion Percentage: 67.4%, Chad Pennington (2008)
• Single Game Completion Percentage: 94.7%, Tannehill (Oct. 25, 2015)

Dolphins QB Stats: Complete History

Player	From	To	G	Record	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
Dick Wood	1966	1966	14	0–4	83	230	993	4	14
Rick Norton	1966	1969	31	1–10	156	377	1751	6	30
John Stofa	1966	1970	17	2–0	61	135	862	7	6
George Wilson	1966	1966	14	2–5	46	112	764	5	10
Bob Griese	1967	1980	161	92-56-3	1926	3429	25092	192	172
Archie Roberts	1967	1967	1	—	5	10	11	0	1
Kim Hammond	1968	1968	3	—	13	26	116	0	2
George Mira	1971	1971	6	1–0	11	30	159	1	1
Earl Morrall	1972	1976	69	11–1	153	284	2335	17	17
Jim Del Gaizo	1972	1972	4	—	5	9	165	2	1
Don Strock	1974	1987	163	14–6	388	688	4613	39	37
Guy Benjamin	1978	1979	7	—	9	12	119	1	1
David Woodley	1980	1983	42	27-12-1	508	961	5928	34	42
Dan Marino	1983	1999	242	147–93	4967	8358	61361	420	252
Kyle Mackey	1987	1987	3	1–2	57	109	604	3	5
Scott Stankavage	1987	1987	3	—	4	7	8	0	1
Ron Jaworski	1988	1988	16	—	9	14	123	1	0
Scott Secules	1989	1991	45	—	33	70	393	2	5
Scott Mitchell	1991	1993	31	3–4	135	241	1805	12	9
Steve DeBerg	1993	1993	5	2–2	113	188	1521	6	7
Doug Pederson	1993	1993	7	—	4	8	41	0	0
Bernie Kosar	1994	1996	14	0–2	105	152	987	5	6
Dan McGwire	1995	1995	1	—	0	1	0	0	0
Craig Erickson	1996	1997	9	1–2	68	127	945	4	3
Damon Huard	1998	2000	34	5–1	170	288	1691	9	8
Scott Zolak	1999	1999	1	—	0	4	0	0	0
Jay Fiedler	2000	2004	62	36–23	936	1603	11040	66	63
Ray Lucas	2001	2002	17	2–4	94	163	1090	4	6
Sage Rosenfels	2002	2005	13	0–2	54	109	776	6	6
Brian Griese	2003	2003	5	3–2	74	130	813	5	6
A.J. Feeley	2004	2004	11	3–5	191	356	1893	11	15
Gus Frerotte	2005	2005	16	9–6	257	494	2996	18	13
Daunte Culpepper	2006	2006	4	1–3	81	134	929	2	3
Cleo Lemon	2006	2007	13	1–7	211	377	2185	8	7
Joey Harrington	2006	2006	11	5–6	223	388	2236	12	15
John Beck	2007	2007	5	0–4	60	107	559	1	3
Trent Green	2007	2007	5	0–5	85	141	987	5	7
Chad Pennington	2008	2010	20	12–8	373	552	4085	20	9
Chad Henne	2008	2011	36	13–18	646	1065	7114	31	37
Tyler Thigpen	2009	2010	6	0–1	37	70	518	3	4
Pat White	2009	2009	13	—	0	5	0	0	0
Matt Moore	2011	2017	27	8–9	359	591	4298	29	19
J.P. Losman	2011	2011	2	—	6	10	60	0	0
Ryan Tannehill	2012	2018	88	42–46	1829	2911	20434	123	75
Jay Cutler	2017	2017	14	6–8	266	429	2666	19	14
David Fales	2017	2017	2	—	29	43	265	1	1
Brock Osweiler	2018	2018	7	2–3	113	178	1247	6	4
Josh Rosen	2019	2019	6	0–3	58	109	567	1	5
Ryan Fitzpatrick	2019	2020	24	9–11	494	769	5620	33	21
Tua Tagovailoa	2020	2022	36	21–13	708	1078	8015	52	23
Jacoby Brissett	2021	2021	11	2–3	141	225	1283	5	4
Teddy Bridgewater	2022	2022	5	0–2	49	79	683	4	4
Skylar Thompson	2022	2022	7	1–1	60	105	534	1	3