The 2010s weren’t a kind decade to the Miami Dolphins. The organization largely sleepwalked through the decade, making just one postseason appearance and securing just one winning record along the way. And for as bad as the team accolades were, the individual accolades were seemingly even worse. Standout performers such as Cameron Wake and Reshad Jones offered the best of what the Dolphins had to offer — minus the early portions of the decade when Miami had stockpiled star power such as Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall.
But even those tenures in South Florida were brief — and not because of performance on the field, which further marred the Dolphins’ ability to compete.
But who were the best of the best among Miami’s talent throughout the 2010s? Every vacancy and departure leaves opportunity to someone else to step up to the plate and perform. The Dolphins saw that in most areas this past decade — but no one is going to confuse the 2010s as a high water mark for the Dolphins in any area.
That includes passing the football — the 2010s were a far cry from the Dan Marino glory years. But the Dolphins did something they were unable to do for most of the 2000s in stabilizing their passing game. Here are the team’s top passers (in yardage) from 2010-2019.
#1. Ryan Tannehill (2012-2018)
Passing Yards: 20,434 (123 touchdowns)
Tannehill made it okay for Dolphins fans to expect more than just “okay” quarterback play once again in South Florida. He stabilized the position in life after Dan Marino — but ultimately his shortcomings didn’t pair well with those of the Miami roster.
#2. Matt Moore (2011-2017)
Passing Yards: 4,298 (29 touchdowns)
This long-tenured backup was always a spark plug when his number was called. Moore had some electric moments behind center, including his stretch of play in 2016 to help the Dolphins secure their only postseason berth of the decade.
#3. Chad Henne (2010-2011)
Passing Yards: 4,169 (19 touchdowns)
Henne was a failed investment by the Bill Parcells-led Dolphins back at the end of the 2000s. His tenure as the starting quarterback was marred by poor touch and timing.
#4. Ryan Fitzpatrick (2019)
Passing Yards: 3,529 (20 touchdowns)
He ain’t here for a long time, but he’s here for a good time! The man known as “Fitzmagic” was magical in the second half of 2019 for the Dolphins en route to one of the best single seasons of quarterback play Miami has seen this millennium.
#5. Jay Cutler (2017)
Passing Yards: 2,666 (19 touchdowns)
Cutler was called upon by Adam Gase in 2017 when Ryan Tannehill went down with a knee injury in training camp to keep the Dolphins competitive. It didn’t work. Cutler went 6-8 as the starter but Miami’s passing offense was as punchless an attack as you’ll find in the NFL.
