The Dolphins’ quarterback picture behind Malik Willis is starting to look a lot less settled than it did a few weeks ago.
For much of the offseason, a chunk of Miami fans believed Quinn Ewers was lined up to take over as the team’s starter in 2026. Former Dolphin Darren Waller even suggested that was the plan Mike McDaniel would have followed if he had kept his job. But once free agency opened, Miami’s new decision-makers moved quickly to Malik Willis on a sizable contract, and that ended any real expectation that Ewers would be the guy.
That left Ewers looking like the clear backup option, with Las Vegas Raiders castoff Cam Miller and undrafted free agent Mark Gronowski behind him. But through the first five practices of training camp, Ewers has been shaky, and practice No. 5 may have been his roughest yet.
According to Dolphins pressman Travis Wingfield, Ewers’ two-minute work opened with trouble right away: "Ojabo has pressure on Ewers' first play of two-minute [drill], ball gets tipped by Major Burns and Ethan Bonner sprints his butt off to the ball and is rewarded with the pick." Ojabo then reportedly sacked Ewers on the next snap.
The next rep didn’t clean things up much. Wingfield wrote: "Marco Wilson feels an in-breaker coming by Tutu [Atwell] from Quinn [Ewers] and jumps it, nearly picks it off."
That sequence also ended with a sack, this one shared by EDGE rusher Cameron Goode and defensive tackle Zeek Biggers. Wingfield summed it up as "Dominant defense in that two-minute period."
If Ewers keeps putting days like that on tape, Miami may have to start looking outside the building for another quarterback. His rookie production came under a different regime, and that matters here. He was a seventh-round pick in 2025, so the investment is small enough that he’s not locked into anything.
There are options out there. Joshua Dobbs is available after spending 2025 as Drake Maye’s backup with the New England Patriots.
Jimmy Garoppolo is another name to watch after recent reports said he had interest in playing in 2026 despite retirement rumors earlier in the offseason. Other possibilities include former Packers quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Clayton Tune, along with Jeff Driskel, who has 25 games of veteran experience.
Whether any of those names would actually be an upgrade over Ewers right now is another question. But the point is clear: Ewers is not safely planted in the backup role just because that’s how it looked a few weeks ago.
He’s competing for his place under a new coaching staff, and the path from presumed backup to being moved out entirely is suddenly not hard to imagine. If the early camp issues don’t turn around soon, the Dolphins have enough proven arms sitting around to make this situation very real.
In Other News...
Dolphins First Padded Practice Raised Real Questions Up Front
The Dolphins got into pads for the first time in training camp, and the session had the feel of an early measuring stick for both sides of the ball. Miami worked through one-on-one drills but skipped 7-on-7 periods, giving the first real glimpse of how the lines would hold up once contact picked up. Cornerback Ethan Bonner stood out with an interception and tight coverage, while Malik Willis put together a strong passing day as the team sorted through the opening physical tests.
Up front, the review was less tidy. The offensive line showed mixed results, which is exactly the kind of thing that gets more attention once the pads come on, and the absences also mattered with Greg Dulcich and Jamaree Salyer out. Austin Jackson was limited because of injury, leaving the Dolphins with more questions than answers about how settled they are across the front as camp begins to turn from installation to evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Wilkins Still Looms Over A Bigger Dolphins Question
Clelin Ferrells arrival in Miami brought an immediate reminder of how much Christian Wilkins meant to some of the players who passed through the locker room with him. Ferrell pointed to his former college teammate as a positive influence in his own decision to join the Dolphins, a small but telling note about the kind of presence Wilkins had during his five seasons in Miami before heading to Las Vegas.
Now Wilkins is back on the market, though the conversation around him is much bigger than simple free agency. He has not played in nearly two years, and after a contract dispute with the Raiders, his NFL future is far from settled. Ferrell said he hopes Wilkins draws interest somewhere, but for now the more important question is whether a player who once felt like a foundational piece can actually find his way back onto a field. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Gives Dolphins Fans An Early Reason To Stay Patient
Malik Willis is still in the early stages of settling in with the Dolphins, and the first four practices of training camp have offered a little bit of everything. The new quarterback has flashed enough to show why Miami wanted to take a look, but the staff has kept the emphasis on his passing fundamentals while he gets accustomed to the playbook, the timing and the new faces around him.
For now, the job is less about highlight plays and more about steady progress, which is why the coming weeks matter so much. Willis is still working through that pocket-passing focus as he develops chemistry with teammates, including rookie Caleb Douglas, and the sense around camp is that he is improving without quite being where the Dolphins want him yet. The preseason should provide a better read on how far he can come. [Read more 🡒]