The Miami Dolphins made the bold call to fire head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, which means they must feel confident that there's an obvious upgrade on the market. McDaniel's exit comes at the steep expense of many offensive players, but perhaps none more than quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Although one could argue that departed GM Chris Grier was pivotal in drafting Ewers in the seventh round, McDaniel at least had a hand in the pick. He was also the one who developed the former Texas QB and got him ready to start the final three games of the 2025 season.
Considering Ewers was nearly undrafted and had a rather uneven college career after being such a prized recruit, he didn't look too over his head as a rookie. McDaniel's departure, however, changes his whole NFL trajectory.
Quinn Ewers' NFL career is in jeopardy after Miami Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel
Being thrust into action with the playoffs already out of reach and the team in full evaluation mode, Ewers' task to succeed became all the more challenging. If he were overwhelmed, his chances of starting in the NFL again would be all but over.
The 22-year-old gunslinger whose job was called for in his last college season amid demands to see Arch Manning play rose to the occasion.
Other than one bad second half against the Bengals in his starting debut, where he threw two interceptions that weren't necessarily terrible plays, Ewers looked the part of a potential starter.
This all came at the expense of Tua Tagovailoa. Miami's would-be franchise QB got paid a huge second contract despite multiple concussions and evidence that he couldn't hack it against the NFL's best teams. McDaniel elevated Tua as a player and also rebuilt his confidence as a person. That's a unique combination the Dolphins won't have an easy time replacing.
As for the impact on Ewers, well, here's what's about to happen. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is bringing in a new head coach and GM. Ewers is a seventh-round pick from the previous regime. With the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, it's at least feasible that Miami could trade up for a top QB or stick and pick one in the first round.
Unless the Dolphins bring in Dez Bryant as a talent evaluation consultant, Ewers' days in a Dolphins uniform might already be numbered.
I like Quinn Ewers over Tua already. He's Dan Marino 2.0 and yes..I said it.
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 26, 2025
Not that the next coaching staff and front office leads will blindly move off Ewers, but stuff like this happens all the time. The new powers that be will want "THEIR GUYS" in place. As in, the players they're responsible for acquiring are who they want to win big with, not leftovers from their predecessors.
Quinn Ewers was set up so well to thrive under McDaniel. Now, he's likely to be searching for another team to play for, or he'll get stuck behind another young QB whom he'll have to cede all significant reps to. Doesn't bode well for Ewers to capitalize on his immense talent and upside.