As recently as last week, Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores was telling reporters that veteran passer Ryan Fitzpatrick was "leading the way" in the quarterback battle against second-year man Josh Rosen. Over the weekend, however, Flores praised Rosen's "across the board improvement" from the 2018 season, noting that his footwork, mechanics in the pocket, and decision-making had all improved. 

Despite the strong showing over the weekend, though, Flores noted on Monday morning that the team is not ready to declare the competition over just yet, and is still listing Rosen as the backup on the depth chart, with Fitzpatrick leading the battle at the moment. 

If you're wondering why the Dolphins would even be considering starting Fitzpatrick over Rosen, let's just say you're not alone. 

The team is clearly entering a rebuilding phase, and the idea that Fitzpatrick -- who turns 37 years old in November -- has any sort of long-term future with the team is more than a little ridiculous. Rosen might though, and that means the team would be far better off investing its time and resources in finding out whether or not he can be the answer for them under center. Gaining as much information about Rosen's prospects as possible between now and next year's draft will better inform the Dolphins' decision regarding whether to take a quarterback in the first round, and you can't gain that information with Rosen sitting behind Fitzpatrick.

All that said, if Rosen can't beat Fitzpatrick for the starting job given those realities, that's probably not the best sign for his future with the team. Fitzpatrick getting much time on the field during the 2019 season likely means Rosen is falling short in some area, and that actually gives us an indication that the Dolphins will be looking elsewhere sooner rather than later.