The Dolphins’ latest roster signing is an unconventional one — but it may not foreshadow what many are assuming
What is that saying about desperate times, again?
The Miami Dolphins rocked the boat a little bit as the end of the 2025 season crept closer to becoming reality. Miami is in the midst of their preparations for the 2026 offseason and has a date with the New England Patriots awaiting them in Week 18 — but that hasn’t stopped Miami from pulling an unconventional play. With just days left in this season, the Dolphins signed rookie quarterback Cam Miller off of the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad on Thursday.
Miller, who was a standout for North Dakota State and a sixth-round draft choice, becomes the fourth quarterback on Miami’s roster. For now. Zach Wilson is assuredly gone next week after getting bypassed by rookie Quinn Ewers. And the reports suggest Tua Tagovailoa is on the outs, too. So Miami targeting a quarterback isn’t a surprise. But the circumstances and timing of this move are unconventional and indeed should be considered an omen for what is to come in the months head at quarterback in Miami. But are we reading the tea leaves correctly?
The Dolphins’ addition of QB Cam Miller was an unusual one to beat the buzzer
“Yeah, disappointing to lose (Miller) because we put a lot of time in, and he’s put a lot of time in here as well. And so, I had a chance talk to him last night before he got on the plane and left, but he’s a hard worker and certainly somebody that we valued here, and it’s hard to lose a guy like that late in the season. But good luck to him, and happy for him.”
— Las Vegas Raiders interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson on new Dolphins quarterback Cam Miller
The Dolphins snuck this one in right before the buzzer and it underscores what we should expect as Miami tries to navigate their way out of the Tua Tagovailoa situation. You don’t see a lot of practice squad signings to active rosters by a different team in Week 18 — especially by teams that aren’t bracing for postseason action. Remember, the Dolphins are going home next week. There is no “next” game this season. And so the signing about Miller was strictly about one thing: getting him into the building with control going into the offseason.
And that’s exactly what the Dolphins will do. By signing him to a spot on their 53-man roster, Miami is assured to retain his rights into the offseason without having to sign him to a futures contract — which is standard procedure at the end of the season for players on practice squads across the league. Someone(s) in the Dolphins’ front office and/or football operation see something here, and it’s not just offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was asked about Miller’s skill set on Thursday.
“We liked (Miller) coming out of the draft. He showed great anticipation, conviction, toughness. Had a really good understanding of their offense, had really good playing and timing and rhythm, so he was a guy that came out of the draft and through the draft process that we really liked. We’re glad it kind of all worked out,” said Smith.
“(It is) probably more a future situation. Getting him up to speed and all that stuff would probably be fairly challenging.”
Interim general manager Champ Kelly was on the Raiders’ payroll and worked several jobs with Las Vegas from 2022 through February 2025. That means he was a part of the scouting process that ultimately led to the Raiders drafting Miller in the sixth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, too — even if Kelly left just ahead of the 2025 NFL Combine. He was helping to lead and coordinate that scouting staff throughout the entire 2024 college season.
New Miami Dolphins quarterback Cam Miller
- Drafted 215th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Finished career at North Dakota State with 45-11 record as a starter
- 9,720 career passing yards, 81 career passing touchdowns
- 2,277 career rushing yards, 48 career rushing touchdowns
- Two-time FCS National Champion (2021, 2024)
This isn’t to infer that the coaching staff or Kelly or guaranteed anything for a return in 2026, either. Maybe they will. Many are assuming that is the case. But I don’t think this is a sign of anything other than a front office doing the task at hand. It does highlight one thing — the Dolphins are going to get creative to sort out a competitive quarterback room in 2026 amid the upcoming (assumed) ejection of Tua Tagovailoa. It’s been reported in several places that Tagovailoa is believed to have played his last snap with the team. Moves like this only add more fuel to the fire on that front.
The Dolphins tipped their hand this may be coming earlier this week, too. Earlier in the week, the team held extensive tryouts for a slew of players, including two quarterbacks: Taylor Elgersma and Jason Bean. Neither signed and the Dolphins instead pivoted to the Raiders’ practice squad to ink Miller in this unconventional plucking in the midnight hour.
It’s a bit unorthodox and certainly cut throat for the Raiders’ circumstances. But all is fair in football — and so Miller will ride into the offseason with a chance to go throughout the full calendar alongside Quinn Ewers and whatever quarterbacks Miami brings in to compete. Whether or not the powers that be that brought him here will be as well? We’ll see.
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