Quinn Ewers won his first NFL game in Week 17, and now, the Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback has been nominated for the NFL Rookie of the Week award.
Ewers started only his second game as a rookie, but it was enough to earn plenty of praise. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first Dolphins' rookie quarterback since Dan Marino's rookie season to throw for two TDs in the first half of a game.
🚨 Quinn Ewers has been nominated for the NFL Rookie of the Week award for his performance vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (@NFL) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/V14XsQz8LK
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) December 30, 2025
Miami Dolphins' Quinn Ewers joins exclusive club of rookies as he earns his first weekly honor
In 2020, Tua Tagovailoa was also nominated for a weekly rookie award. He won that in Week 13 when he led the Dolphins to a victory over the Bengals. Tagovailoa has earned three AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards and one Player of the Month (September 2023), but his play has declined considerably over the last two seasons.
Ewers has a long way to go before he can be named the starter in 2026. He has a tough game against the Patriots this week to close out the season. If somehow the Dolphins were able to steal a victory in Foxboro, Ewers may find himself nominated again.
It will be a tough win for Ewers this week. Tyler Shough of the Saints put up a 142.7 QBR while throwing for two touchdowns of his own and 333 yards. Of the four rookie quarterbacks that were nominated this week, Ewers threw the least amount of yards.
The Dolphins don't need weekly awards for their players; they need weekly wins. There was a clear difference between the Ewers who started in Week 16 for the first time and last weekend. Miami fans are hoping that, against a much better defense, the young quarterback will show more signs of improvement.
Miami will play in New England on Sunday. The Patriots still have hopes of earning a first-round bye to start the second season, but the Dolphins would love to make sure that didn't happen. They are going to need a great game from their rookie quarterback. That isn't going to be an easy task.