Quarterbacks
Every season-opening starter since 1966. Bob Griese and Dan Marino opened 26 seasons between them; the years since have needed 11 different men.
17
opening-day starters
Longest run
16
Dan Marino, 1984โ1999
Starters since Marino
11
across 27 seasons since 1999
Seasons covered
61
1966โ2026
19 separate stints
Opening-day starters, longest run to shortest
Each bar is one uninterrupted run of season openers. Teal is through Marino; orange is everything after.
- 1966Dick Wood1
- 1967John Stofa1
- 1968โ197710Bob Griese
- 1978Don Strock1
- 1979โ1980Bob Griese2
- 1981โ1983David Woodley3
- 1984โ199916Dan Marino
- 2000โ20045Jay Fiedler
- 2005Gus Frerotte1
- 2006Daunte Culpepper1
- 2007Trent Green1
- 2008โ2009Chad Pennington2
- 2010โ2011Chad Henne2
- 2012โ20165Ryan Tannehill
- 2017Jay Cutler1
- 2018Ryan Tannehill1
- 2019โ2020Ryan Fitzpatrick2
- 2021โ20255Tua Tagovailoa
- 2026Malik Willis1
Seasons that needed the most quarterbacks
Counting every quarterback who appeared, not just the opener.
- 1966Dick Wood, Rick Norton, George Wilson, John Stofa4 QBs
- 2024Tua Tagovailoa, Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley3 QBs
- 2022Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater, Skylar Thompson3 QBs
- 2010Chad Henne, Tyler Thigpen, Chad Pennington3 QBs
- 2007Trent Green, Cleo Lemon, John Beck3 QBs
- 2006Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon3 QBs
Every season
| Season | Opening starter | QBs used | All quarterbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Malik Willis | 1 | Malik Willis |
| 2025 | Tua Tagovailoa | 2 | Tua Tagovailoa (14), Quinn Ewers (3) |
| 2024 | Tua Tagovailoa | 3 | Tua Tagovailoa (11), Skylar Thompson (1), Tyler Huntley (5) |
| 2023 | Tua Tagovailoa | 1 | Tua Tagovailoa (17) |
| 2022 | Tua Tagovailoa | 3 | Tua Tagovailoa (13), Teddy Bridgewater (2), Skylar Thompson (2) |
| 2021 | Tua Tagovailoa | 2 | Tua Tagovailoa (12), Jacoby Brissett (5) |
| 2020 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 2 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (7), Tua Tagovailoa (9) |
| 2019 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 2 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (13), Josh Rosen (3) |
| 2018 | Ryan Tannehill | 2 | Ryan Tannehill (11), Brock Osweiler (5) |
| 2017 | Jay Cutler | 2 | Jay Cutler (14), Matt Moore (2) |
| 2016 | Ryan Tannehill | 2 | Ryan Tannehill (13), Matt Moore (3) |
| 2015 | Ryan Tannehill | 1 | Ryan Tannehill (16) |
| 2014 | Ryan Tannehill | 1 | Ryan Tannehill (16) |
| 2013 | Ryan Tannehill | 1 | Ryan Tannehill (16) |
| 2012 | Ryan Tannehill | 1 | Ryan Tannehill (16) |
| 2011 | Chad Henne | 2 | Chad Henne (4), Matt Moore (12) |
| 2010 | Chad Henne | 3 | Chad Henne (14), Tyler Thigpen (1), Chad Pennington (1) |
| 2009 | Chad Pennington | 2 | Chad Pennington (3), Chad Henne (13) |
| 2008 | Chad Pennington | 1 | Chad Pennington (16) |
| 2007 | Trent Green | 3 | Trent Green (5), Cleo Lemon (7), John Beck (4) |
| 2006 | Daunte Culpepper | 3 | Daunte Culpepper (4), Joey Harrington (11), Cleo Lemon (1) |
| 2005 | Gus Frerotte | 2 | Gus Frerotte (15), Sage Rosenfels (1) |
| 2004 | Jay Fiedler | 3 | Jay Fiedler (7), A. J. Feeley (8), Sage Rosenfels (1) |
| 2003 | Jay Fiedler | 2 | Jay Fiedler (11), Brian Griese (5) |
| 2002 | Jay Fiedler | 2 | Jay Fiedler (10), Ray Lucas (6) |
| 2001 | Jay Fiedler | 1 | Jay Fiedler (16) |
| 2000 | Jay Fiedler | 2 | Jay Fiedler (15), Damon Huard (1) |
| 1999 | Dan Marino | 2 | Dan Marino (11), Damon Huard (5) |
| 1998 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1997 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1996 | Dan Marino | 2 | Dan Marino (13), Craig Erickson (3) |
| 1995 | Dan Marino | 2 | Dan Marino (14), Bernie Kosar (2) |
| 1994 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1993 | Dan Marino | 3 | Dan Marino (5), Scott Mitchell (7), Steve DeBerg (4) |
| 1992 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1991 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1990 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1989 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1988 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1987 | Dan Marino | 2 | Dan Marino (12), Kyle Mackey (3) |
| 1986 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1985 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1984 | Dan Marino | 1 | Dan Marino (16) |
| 1983 | David Woodley | 3 | David Woodley (5), Dan Marino (9), Don Strock (2) |
| 1982 | David Woodley | 1 | David Woodley (9) |
| 1981 | David Woodley | 2 | David Woodley (15), Don Strock (1) |
| 1980 | Bob Griese | 3 | Bob Griese (3), Don Strock (2), David Woodley (11) |
| 1979 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (12), Don Strock (4) |
| 1978 | Don Strock | 2 | Don Strock (7), Bob Griese (9) |
| 1977 | Bob Griese | 1 | Bob Griese (14) |
| 1976 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (13), Don Strock (1) |
| 1975 | Bob Griese | 3 | Bob Griese (10), Earl Morrall (1), Don Strock (3) |
| 1974 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (13), Earl Morrall (1) |
| 1973 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (13), Earl Morrall (1) |
| 1972 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (5), Earl Morrall (9) |
| 1971 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (13), George Mira (1) |
| 1970 | Bob Griese | 1 | Bob Griese (14) |
| 1969 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (9), Rick Norton (5) |
| 1968 | Bob Griese | 2 | Bob Griese (13), Rick Norton (1) |
| 1967 | John Stofa | 3 | John Stofa (1), Bob Griese (10), Rick Norton (3) |
| 1966 | Dick Wood | 4 | Dick Wood (4), Rick Norton (2), George Wilson (7), John Stofa (1) |
About this data
Quarterbacks are listed in order of appearance within each season, so the first name is that season's opening starter. The franchise has used 17 different opening-day starters across 61 seasons.
"Opener" rather than "Week 1" is deliberate: in 2017 Hurricane Irma postponed the Dolphins' Week 1 game to Week 11, so that season began in Week 2.
27 seasons overlap with nflverse starting-QB data and were checked against it during the build. All of them agreed.