Quinn Ewers will be the latest rookie quarterback to start a game when the Miami Dolphins host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season.
The former Texas Longhorns signal caller and seventh-round pick gets the nod after Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel benched veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for the rest of the season. While his future is in doubt with the Dolphins, Ewers is getting an opportunity to show he is the future or at least can be.
In explaining the decision, McDaniel appeared to display some confidence in his rookie quarterback.
“This team needs convicted quarterback play,” McDaniel told reporters, via NFL.com. “I thought Quinn gave us the best chance to do that and that’s why I did it.”
It is hard to truly believe that with a seventh-round pick, but Ewers isn’t a typical late-round pick. Noted as one of the top QB prospects prior to the 2024 college football season, Ewers was noted for his quick release and touch on layered throws. He is also a quick processor who can run an RPO offense. He does have the tools to be successful in a McDaniel offense. The question is can he put it together and have success leading it.
What about Tua?
So, what about Tua? The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has not been the player he was a couple seasons ago when he was signal caller to a high scoring Dolphins’ offense. Of course, that was back when they had a healthy Tyreek Hill scorching defenses with his speed and overall presence. It was also before Tagovailoa suffered concussions that slowed his season in 2024.
While the Dolphins failures over the last two seasons don’t all rest on the shoulders of Tagovailoa, it’s become obvious it may be time he takes his talents out of South Beach. If in fact McDaniel is back another season as head coach, it will need to be either/or in Miami as the franchise embrace for a roster reset or roster refuel in 2026.
With that said, the Dolphins should and probably will explore trading Tua in the offseason for more draft capital.
2026 NFL Draft: Dolphins need to know what they have in Ewers
Although Ewers was a late-round pick, he does have first-round talent. Prior to the 2024 college football season, the former Texas Longhorns quarterback was projected as a top 10 pick. Can McDaniel draw that talent out of Ewers? The last three games of the season will be a great opportunity to develop the rookie or at the very least, give him the experience to compete for the job in 2026.
While the QB talent at the top of the 2026 NFL Draft has been dampened with prospects like LaNorris Sellers returning to school, there is QB talent on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft a team like the Dolphins could explore like Penn State’s Drew Allar who was forecasted as a first-round pick before struggling early in the season before ultimately going down with a season-ending injury.
A healthy Allar competing with Ewers in training camp could lead the Dolphins to an answer going forward.