Miami Dolphins name QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Week 1 starter

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Ryan Fitzpatrick has officially won the Miami Dolphins' quarterback competition, at least for Week 1.

Dolphins coach Brian Flores named Fitzpatrick the team's Week 1 starter after the Dolphins beat the New Orleans Saints 16-13 in a preseason game Thursday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Fitzpatrick and fellow quarterback Josh Rosen did not play in the team's final preseason game.

"After a thorough evaluation of OTAs, training camp, games, practice, we felt like this was the best move for this team going into the season," Flores said. "Ryan has done a good job from a leadership standpoint, from an execution standpoint and we feel like that's the best thing for this team."

Flores said the Dolphins made the decision over the course of the last week. The first-year head coach said Rosen improved greatly over the course of training camp.

"This is where I wanted to be and worked to get [to]," Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick, 36, completed 17-of-32 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in three games this preseason. Rosen, 22, completed 28-of-45 passes for 352 yards and an interception in three preseason games for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins signed Fitzpatrick as a free agent in March, a month before trading for Rosen.

"[I don't feel] great," Rosen said. "At least for me, the battle of competition never stops. I'll push him every single day for him to get better. If he doesn't get better, I'll hopefully surpass him at some point. But we're teammates -- we are both Dolphins -- I'm rooting for him as hard as anyone."

The Dolphins start the season against the Baltimore Ravens at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.