Last year, Mike White won a close battle for the second quarterback spot against Skylar Thompson in Miami. This year, the hunt is “Head to head.”

Last night, Skylar Thompson was named starter for the first preseason game of 2024.

Thompson was responsible for seven drives in two quarters, completing eight of 19 passes for 95 yards, scoring one touchdown and throwing one interception.

White led seven drives in the second half, completing four of 14 passes for 26 yards.

“I think every quarterback has different circumstances,” coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the game. “So you try to replicate as closely as possible in a contest. The opposite situation was at some point in the preseason. I think both quarterbacks had some issues in their own scenarios during the game but then were able to recover and do some things, especially in the second half. I wanted to get Mike in a rhythm and there were some things that were out of his control and I wanted to see how he responded to that and I think he responded well even though we had very, very difficult circumstances. In the second half, we were down a tight end and a running back and we had a receiver that we had just brought on board two days ago, so it was a difficult situation for him and I think he kept his composure, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

McDaniel’s comments suggest White will get first crack at future preseason games, but Thompson believes the game will slow down for him in his third season.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Thompson said. “I think I have to be able to anticipate windows and trust my feet. I felt like I did a good job today of just getting the ball out in a timely manner. There were a couple plays where I had to stretch and run a little bit. But for the most part, I just felt like getting the ball out and seeing it well was a big focus for me to improve. I’m excited to go back and watch the film and see what it looks like on film. Things I did well and things I can get better at. That’s the whole point of these exhibition games, to evaluate them and get better for everyone.”

Ideally, the Dolphins don’t need either of them this year. But they do need someone ready if Tua Tagovailoa is injured.

In 2024, he did not miss a single game. This was the first time in his four-year career that he lasted from start to finish.

So, yes, the Dolphins have to be ready. It remains to be seen which of Thompson and White will be the next man up for the upcoming season.