MIAMI – In one of the more widely attended podium sessions at the NFL combine in March, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel broke down exactly what he wanted in a backup to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“When you’re looking for a No. 2 quarterback, there’s two things,” he said. “You want him to benefit the starting quarterback while the starting quarterback is the starting quarterback, and empower him with how they approach their daily game plan responsibilities and how they develop when they’re training in the offseason.

“But you also want a guy that can win games should the starter go down. So, a veteran backup is definitely in our discussions, but it’s the best player that we can find in whatever avenue and move forward from there.”

As it turns out, McDaniel had someone in mind, former first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater – who will make his first start of the season Sunday against the Jets (1 p.m., E.T., CBS) in place of the injured Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins signed Bridgewater to a one-year, $6.5 million fully guaranteed contract this offseason after he had stints with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and the Jets. A serious knee injury cut short a promising start to his career with the Vikings in 2016, and he spent the next four seasons either rehabbing or as a backup. As a starter for both the Panthers and Broncos over the past two seasons, he threw for a combined 6,785 yards and 33 touchdowns against 18 interceptions – including a career-high 18 touchdowns in 14 games with Denver last season before a concussion ended his season early.

The experience he’s picked up throughout his career is a critical reason why the Dolphins brought the Miami native back home.

“It’s everything. That’s why you go out in free agency and spend a good, a nice little chunk of the salary cap on a guy that on paper isn’t supposed to play,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “The quarterback’s job is to make his teammates better. If you operate, and they are better because of you, you’re doing a good job of playing the position of quarterback.

“Teddy’s already made all of his teammates better on this Sunday coming in the future, simply by how he’s conducted himself, how he’s owned the offense, and really, there is a relief. … So to have not only his past history help him but everything he’s done in the building, it’s a huge, humongous deal.”

Bridgewater gets a Jets defense that ranks 24th in defensive expected points added and 15th in passing yards allowed at 217.8 yards per game.

He’s also facing the organization that gave him an opportunity to advance his career after he left Minnesota. It doesn’t add anything more to the game for the nine-year veteran, but he can still appreciate the role the Jets played in getting him where he is now.

“The year I spent OTAs and training camp with the Jets -- I look at it as they helped save my career,” he said. “When I signed with the Jets, it really was like on a tryout basis almost with Todd Bowles, the head coach, and ‘J Mel’ (John Mellody), the trainer, he helped me get back to my old self healthwise. Todd Bowles, his charisma and his energy helped me just continue to get that confidence back for myself.

“Then when they traded me, it was like everything happens for a reason. I understand the nature of the business. I don’t take anything personally.”

McDaniel said there are instances when an offense has to change certain things when transitioning to its backup quarterback, but added this isn’t one of those times. Bridgewater brings many similar traits to the field as Tagovailoa, who led the NFL in passing yards at the time of his injury.

Tyreek Hill, the league’s leading receiver entering Sunday’s game, connected with Bridgewater for 109 yards and six catches on nine targets against the Bengals in Week 4 and feels confident in their ability to keep it going against New York.

“I feel like he’s just a veteran guy – having that connection and being able to have some conversations about ball,” Hill said. “Teddy understands my play style, and I understand where he wants me to be at on the field.

“That’s how we connected deep down the field against the Bengals. Just me and him on the same page. Him telling me, ‘Hey ‘Reek, if we get a certain coverage, I need you on this side of the hash. I need you here.’ And stuff like that. So just us being able to recognize things together and being on the same page.”

Bridgewater’s start comes with Tagovailoa in concussion protocol and amidst an NFL-NFLPA joint investigation into how he was handled following an apparent head injury he was evaluated for on Sept. 25. Prior to his injury, Tagovailoa was off to the best start to a season of his career and had the Dolphins sitting atop the AFC at 3-0.

But Bridgewater knows better than to try to emulate Tagovailoa. Part of the reason why McDaniel said he can see the relief among his players is because Bridgewater has the confidence to be himself -- and that’s spread to the rest of the team.

“I can’t be Tua. I had to learn a lesson when I was in New Orleans -- I couldn’t be Drew Brees,” Bridgewater said. “So it’s like, as long as I continue to be myself, the guys realize this guy isn’t faking. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. It’s like it’s a sense of relief. Like okay, we know we’re getting the real version of him. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. That’s just my approach every day.”