Quinn Ewers’ hold on a Dolphins roster spot is suddenly looking shaky.
What was supposed to be a straightforward camp battle has turned into a real question for Miami, and the latest word from the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson suggests the team is at least weighing whether to keep Ewers as the No. 2 quarterback. Jackson posted that Ewers “could use a good game tonight” and that while the Dolphins “could very well keep him as their No. 2, but it's not a sure thing.”
Ewers’ summer has gone sideways fast. He missed the second preseason game after a rough showing against the Commanders in Week 1, and Miami’s offense as a whole struggled last week against the Giants. That leaves tonight as a meaningful opportunity for the former Texas quarterback to steady himself before roster cuts arrive.
The timing makes this even trickier for Miami. NFL rosters have to be trimmed to 53 by Sunday evening, and the Dolphins also don’t play again for two weeks, which gives the team extra time to sort out its quarterback room before the regular season begins. That extra window could help Miami explore other options at the position.
It’s a sharp turn for a player who had shown some promise earlier in the year. Ewers looked good at times last offseason and turned in strong performances during OTAs and minicamps this year. His final three starts of 2025, filling in for Tua Tagovailoa, also offered some encouragement.
That’s why plenty of people around the league thought Ewers might be in line to take over as the starter this season. Instead, Miami’s additions of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley appeared to line up more naturally with Malik Willis.
Jackson’s note about internal discussion over the backup job is the part that stands out most. That kind of talk usually means the decision isn’t settled, and if his reporting is accurate, Ewers is no longer sitting comfortably.
Miami is expected to monitor what becomes available elsewhere, and there should be some quarterback options by Sunday. Still, teams usually don’t let go of quarterbacks with upside unless they have to, even if that upside is only as a reserve. The Dolphins may be in a different spot because of how unsettled their quarterback room has been.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. Miami entered the season with major question marks, and after Tagovailoa was released, the roster left Cam Miller and Ewers as the only quarterbacks on hand. The team later signed Mark Gronowski after the draft, but none of them has really separated from the pack.
For Ewers, that’s a brutal place to be after the kind of draft path he had. He was once viewed as a possible early selection if he had left college and entered the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, he stayed at Texas, his play slipped, his stock fell, and Miami eventually took him in the seventh round.
Now, his next NFL stop may be decided in a hurry.
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