One of the more critical decisions the Miami Dolphins are going to need to make in the coming weeks is which quarterback to peg as the primary backup signal caller in South Florida for the 2021 season behind presumed starter Tua Tagovailoa. While Ryan Fitzpatrick enjoyed plenty of success in South Florida, the long-time journeyman quarterback appears poised to add yet another destination to his long list of teams played for, leaving the Dolphins in need of someone capable of taking snaps in the event that something happens to Tagovailoa in 2021.

What are the Dolphins looking for in a backup? That’s a question that Brian Flores was asked on Thursday during his press conference with the South Florida media. And, based on Flores’ answer, there are a lot of layers at play that the Dolphins must work through to find the right fit.

“Someone who is smart, someone who we feel like – hopefully this doesn’t happen, but if (the backup) had to go in, we could still win a ball game. There’s a few guys out there that we’ve taken a look at them all and we’re still kind of putting that plan in place honestly, with just kind of setting the number yesterday. Those meetings are kind of ongoing and couple that with a number of releases that are happening really on a day-to-day basis, we’re almost re-ranking on a daily basis,” said Flores.

“I wish I had more for you there, but those characteristics are what we’re looking for – tough, smart, competitive, obviously accurate and all the things from a talent standpoint that you need at the quarterback position (such as) decision-making and command of the offense.”

Flores also had nothing but praise for Fitzpatrick, stating that the veteran “embodies all the characteristics we’re looking for” before admitting that the salary cap dynamics are likely to pose a challenge that won’t easily be overcome to arrange a reunion. Add in some complicated locker room dynamics with Fitzpatrick’s two-year tenure and successes with the Dolphins and a change certainly feels imminent.

And now, thanks to Flores, we know exactly what the Dolphins are looking for. Now comes the hard part: finding it in free agency or the NFL Draft.