The Miami Dolphins are on the prowl for their new quarterback of the future now that Tua Tagovailoa's departure seems inevitable. However, what if that QB is already in their building?
Quinn Ewers was a seventh-round draft pick last year and managed a competent 85.5 passer rating across four games with three starts. Not bad given that the Dolphins had no reliable wide receivers outside of Jaylen Waddle, and Ewers was suddenly promoted to starter status for the last three games.
It ain't easy for a seventh-round rookie to step in, somewhat look the part of a functional NFL starter, and run a complex offense like Mike McDaniel's after not getting any of the practice reps throughout the season.
Don't sleep on Ewers as the Dolphins' QB of the future. Rather than bending over backwards to pay a ton of money to Malik Willis, resorting to a lame veteran stopgap in free agency, or reaching on someone in the draft, Miami can simply roll with Ewers in 2026.
Here's a few reasons why Ewers as QB1 feels like such a viable strategy.
Key reasons why Quinn Ewers should be Miami Dolphins' QB1 in 2026
1. There's a blue-chip talent somewhere inside Quinn Ewers' being
Not every top-flight high school recruit pans out, but the hype around Quinn Ewers coming out of high school was different. He was so advanced that he reclassified to graduate a year early, enrolled at Ohio State, and was already netting seven-figure NIL deals before playing a single college snap.
Ewers was literally rated as a perfect prospect by 247Sports. Still the No. 1 recruit in the country when he reclassified. He sat for a season at Ohio State before transferring back home to Texas.
Although his college career wasn't exactly the stuff of legend, Ewers dealt with multiple nagging injuries and just had kind of a weird go of it. Plus, he had to deal with everyone calling for his job in favor of Arch Manning during his final season with the Longhorns. No pressure, young man!
Now, all those expectations are in the past and greatly diminished by Ewers' low draft status.
The soon-to-be 23-year-old can focus on ball only. Ewers has gotten his feet wet in the NFL and didn't look overwhelmed for the most part. Why not let him get a full offseason of starter's reps and see what he's got?
2. The Bobby Slowik scheme is an optimal fit for Quinn Ewers' skill set
Speaking of the inauspicious start to Ewers 'collegiate career, he sat and learned behind eventual Houston Texans franchise QB C.J. Stroud. Just so happens that new Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was calling the shots for Stroud during his first two NFL Seasons.
No clue if Ewers and Stroud are still in touch. It'd make some sense since Stroud now plays in Texas as a pro. In any event, I'm sure Stroud wouldn't mind Ewers reaching out to pick his brain on Slowik's offense.
The thing is, though, that the Dolphins were intentional about bringing Ewers in. They viewed him as a fit in Mike McDaniel's system. Slowik and McDaniel both descend from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, so many of their core principles and, I would assume, terminology are similar.
There's enough connective tissue here to suggest Ewers would fit right in with how Slowik wants to attack defenses.
3. Quinn Ewers is either a draft diamond, or a perfect tank driver
Let's bring this thang full circle. Back to Ewers' Texas days, and yes, back to Arch Manning.
Assuming Arch declares for the 2027 NFL Draft and continues on the trajectory he showed toward the end of this past season, he'll be a huge favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. Miami GM Jon Eric-Sullivan has been tearing down this roster to the studs by cutting players loose left and right.
So here's why starting Quinn Ewers is a win-win for this new Dolphins regime. If he proves to be a hit, they have their winning QB on a cheap contract for the foreseeable future and can aggressively spend to support him. Sullivan's background in Green Bay should also yield some strong draft classes.
If Ewers shows promise but the Dolphins aren't a good team overall, they could be in a position to trade back in the 2027 draft for a king's ransom. Whether that'd be for the first pick or one near the top, the '27 class is expected to be way better at QB than this year's group, which features Fernando Mendoza and not a whole lot else.
Now, what if Ewers is dreadful and the Dolphins bottom out? We've already sort of answered that. They'd be in pole position for Arch Manning. You can't buy that kind of publicity, buzz, brand name recognition, or interest in your franchise....
Arch Manning. Football royalty. The long-awaited savior of the post-Dan Marino Dolphins. Linking back up with Quinn Ewers at the NFL level. Trying to pull Miami into AFC East contention against the likes of Josh Allen and Drake Maye...plus whomever the Jets can pull at QB next. Hollywood screenwriters couldn't cook up something that good!
Hope y'all see the vision. Starting Quinn Ewers isn't as irresponsible or preposterous as it sounds upon closer inspection.