The Miami Dolphins are making a major change under center. With the playoffs no longer in reach and the offense sputtering, head coach Mike McDaniel has decided to bench Tua Tagovailoa and hand the reins to rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers for this Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s a bold move, but not entirely surprising given how the season has unfolded. Tagovailoa, once viewed as the long-term answer in Miami, has had a rough year.
He’s thrown for 2,260 yards with 20 touchdowns, but his 15 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 36.7 - third-worst in the league - have weighed heavily on an offense that never found its rhythm. With the Dolphins officially out of the playoff picture, the focus now shifts to evaluating what they have in Ewers.
Ewers, a seventh-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, came to Miami after forgoing his final year of eligibility at Texas. He’s only seen limited action so far - a brief appearance against the Browns where he completed 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards - but the Dolphins are clearly intrigued by his potential.
McDaniel has praised Ewers’ development since training camp, pointing out the rookie’s leadership qualities and ability to bounce back from mistakes - two traits that often separate long-term starters from short-lived experiments. “Rookies develop at different speeds,” McDaniel said during camp.
“But with Quinn, it starts with leadership. You can tell he has that trait that teammates gravitate to.”
That’s no small compliment, especially in a quarterback room that includes veterans like Zach Wilson and Tagovailoa himself. McDaniel noted that Ewers has benefitted from the competitive environment, learning from the ups and downs of his teammates and steadily improving his understanding of timing and rhythm in the offense.
Ewers will become the first Texas Longhorn to start an NFL game at quarterback since Sam Ehlinger got the nod for the Colts in Week 18 of the 2022-23 season. And while his draft slide raised eyebrows last spring, those closest to him believe Miami might just be the ideal landing spot.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke at length about Ewers' impact on the Longhorns program - both on and off the field - and made it clear he believes the Dolphins offer a strong fit for the young quarterback. “Systematically, what Coach McDaniel does is very similar to what we do,” Sarkisian said.
“So there’s going to be a level of comfort for him in terms of style of play. He’s got some great weapons on the outside, it’s a warm-weather place.
In the end, I think it’s a good fit.”
Sarkisian also highlighted Ewers’ character, pointing out that the quarterback never took money from Texas’ NIL collective, instead choosing to build his brand the way the rule was intended. In an era where college athletes are often scrutinized for chasing financial opportunities, Ewers’ decision to stay grounded and focused on football stood out to his coach.
“There’s a lot written about players transferring or staying for money, like it’s a negative,” Sarkisian added. “But here’s a guy who wanted to leave a legacy at Texas and go to the NFL.
Now he’s getting knocked for not taking the money. I think that speaks to his character and what he believed in.”
The road ahead won’t be easy for Ewers. He’s stepping into a starting role late in the season, with limited reps and a team that’s already looking toward the offseason.
But this is the NFL - opportunities don’t always come when the timing is perfect. Sometimes, you just have to be ready when the door opens.
Now, it’s Quinn Ewers’ turn. Sunday against Cincinnati will be his first true NFL test. And while there are sure to be growing pains, the Dolphins are betting that this rookie might just have something worth building around.