Do Dolphins have a future full-time starting QB in Quinn Ewers?

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MIAMI GARDENS — The hot topic surrounding Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers as he completes his three-game slate starting for the team that appears primed to move on from Tua Tagovailoa is whether he has the goods to be a starter full-time down the road.

The last of the three starts the Dolphins (7-9) have to evaluate him going into the offseason comes Sunday in the team’s finale against the Patriots in New England (13-3).

As many around the organization are bound to leave their final, lasting impression on their 2025 season, Ewers enters 1-1. His win last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offers some optimism toward his potential, and his loss, albeit a blowout 45-21 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals, didn’t necessarily feel like it was very much on his play.

If Ewers’ three-game sample size suffices, he can be viewed, in 2026, as someone capable of competing for the starting role with a fringe-starter caliber outside quarterback who may be brought in, if Tagovailoa and backup Zach Wilson aren’t brought back.

Ask Ewers what he thinks about his prospects as a future full-time starter in the NFL, he’s not taking the bait. He’s locked in on the one game in front of him to finish out the season strong.

“It’d be great to end the season on a high note, for sure,” Ewers said. “I think that’s super important for everybody in this building, not only myself. But just continue to play how I’m playing, keep taking care of the football, converting on third down and scoring in the red zone.”

You can’t blame Ewers for not worrying about the big picture for him when he has an immediate task in front of him. He realizes he’s living his dream, starting NFL games, but he still hasn’t been able to fully appreciate it.

“When you’re in the mix of everything, in the middle of game-planning and trying to get ready for the week, you don’t really take a step back and kind of realize what’s really going on,” Ewers said.

“And it’s definitely a dream come true for me to be in the shoes that I’m in right now, but it also hasn’t felt like I’ve had that time to really step back and kind of look at what’s going on and whatnot. But at the end of the day, I’m not too worried about that, because I’m just trying to keep instilling confidence in my teammates and continuing to grow within the position and within the team.”

Coach Mike McDaniel, who made the move two weeks ago to shift from former franchise quarterback Tagovailoa to the rookie seventh-round pick before season’s end, offered insight on where Ewers’ upside stands.

“Observing someone handle what it is to be a starting quarterback in the NFL season,” McDaniel said. “I know exactly what that is, and I’ve seen guys perform very well in practice and things change a little bit with the heat of gameplay. To see how natural playing the position of quarterback is to him, how I see some of his best throws and plays in game, it gives you a chance.

“I think the way he sees the field and how he fearlessly lives in the pocket, I think that’s an optimistic — that’s the bar for NFL quarterback play. You have to be able to see the field and stand in there and make plays from the pocket. But then, when nothing’s there, kind of like he did at the end of the game on the third-and-3, you got to be able to take off and convert a first down.”

Ewers, in a similar offense to the one he ran in college at Texas, has operated the complexities of it well, while bringing some zip on passes and mobility that may be absent from Tagovailoa’s game.

“The bottom line,” McDaniel said, “measurables that end up attributing success or failure to all quarterbacks each and every year, I know those things, in particular, are hard to come by, hard to do, and give you a chance to continue to improve and have your best football ahead of you, not behind you.”

What stands out to left tackle Patrick Paul about Ewers: “His confidence. He’s a confident quarterback. He stays poised in the pocket. He can make unbelievable throws.”

In order to put his best foot forward in that finale, Ewers will have to deal with temperatures that are forecasted to be in the 20s in Foxborough. The Texas product, who played college football for the Texas Longhorns and now plays for South Florida’s professional team, hasn’t had much exposure to cold environments.

The coldest game Ewers played with Texas was at Kansas, where the temperatures were in the 30s. He handled that well in a 55-14 win over the Jayhawks, without wearing sleeves or tights, he recalled.

“It’s what comes with the sport when you play in the northeast,” Ewers said.

He won’t wear gloves as he looks to throw the ball around at Gillette Stadium.

“I think he has the ability to lead this team with coordinated and cohesive play from his teammates,” McDaniel said. “I think he can lead this team to victory against the opponent in front of us, and I think his game continues to grow.

“It’s 2 for 2, and so we’re trying to see 3 for 3.”

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