The Miami Dolphins have questions to answer about their starting quarterback position in 2026, and Quinn Ewers has shown that he at least deserves a chance to compete for the job.
Being a seventh-round pick in the 2025 Draft comes with very low expectations outside of potentially developing into a competent backup at the NFL level, but Ewers has an opportunity to stake a claim to be a starter for the Miami Dolphins next season.
After benching Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins opted to bypass incumbent backup QB Zach Wilson and give their young gunslinger out of Texas an opportunity to develop and showcase his talents ahead of a season that the team has no clear plan for yet.
Tagovailoa is expected to be moved on next off-season, leaving a starting job available in South Florida, and it’s unlikely the team will consider making a splash at the position, as other areas need to be addressed in order to set the team up for longer-term success.
With that in mind, Ewers could be the perfect person to slot into the role, or at the very least give him a chance to compete for it in training camp.
Quinn Ewers Has Potential
Once the top prospect out of high school, the former Texas Longhorns starter has shown flashes of talent during his rookie campaign.
While the Dolphins’ collapse against the Cincinnati Bengals was understandably disappointing, with Ewers throwing two interceptions, he did throw for 260 yards and looked good on a number of plays.
Ewers looked even better against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he led the Dolphins to a 20-17 victory with 176 passing yards and two touchdowns, with both of them coming in the first half of the game – the first Dolphins rookie to achieve this since Dan Marino back in 1983.
Dolphins coaches have discussed how they appreciate many of Ewers’ intangibles, such as his comfort in playing the position and how the game doesn’t appear to be ‘too big’ for him, despite his relatively low draft position.
He has a strong arm, as demonstrated on several plays over the past two weeks, including long passes of 40, 29, and 63 yards in the three games he has appeared in this season.
It’s a small sample size so far, but Ewers is doing the best he can with what he has available, and it should make whoever is in charge of the team plenty to consider when it comes to deciding the short-term future of the quarterback position.
A Stronger Team Could Help Quinn Ewers
The Dolphins will be limited by the salary cap next season, no matter what they decide to do with Tagovailoa.
Moves will be made to strengthen the team, with the Draft presenting a perfect opportunity to bring in talent at an affordable price, and these changes could help Ewers next season.
2026 should be viewed as a transitional year for the Miami Dolphins, with the playoffs an unlikely aim and 2027 the year where the team could have much higher hopes for success.
This would suit Ewers perfectly, as he could flourish with some new, young talent across the field and play through the season without such lofty expectations as Tagovailoa has had.
If he performs well and has the Dolphins close to a winning record, or even surprising and exceeding expectations, it could set him up for a longer-term opportunity.
A full season with Ewers under center would show the Dolphins exactly what they have at the quarterback position, which could dictate the team’s approach to the 2027 Draft – a class that is expected to have better QB talent overall than in 2026.
Giving him that opportunity to compete in 2026, however, is the first step to truly knowing where the team is heading in the post-Tagovailoa era and whether or not their long-term future is already on the roster or not.