Just a few months after the Miami Dolphins were thought to have pulled off one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft by nabbing Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers in the seventh round, his preseason performance has some wondering if he is even going to make the final roster.
Ewers completed just five of his 18 passes for 91 yards in a 24-24 preseason tie against the Chicago Bears, though he did lose two fumbles in addition to his wild day throwing the rock. Quite simply, Ewers looked out of place, especially compared to other rookies who managed to step on the gas.
Ewers was ranked as the third-worst of the 11 rookie quarterbacks who played in their first preseason action in the eyes of CBS Sports. Of players who received as much extended action as Ewers did, he was unequivocally the worst.
The two quarterbacks ranked beneath him were a pair of sixth-rounders in Philadelphia's Kyle McCord and Houston's Graham Mertz. McCord threw just five passes in very limited action, only one of which was completed. Mertz, who surprised many when he was drafted at all, was intercepted three times. What elite company!
Dolphins' Quinn Ewers ranked as third-worst rookie QB in preseason
Outside of the pedigree that comes with being a 5-star recruit, Ewers' best traits as a quarterback are his penchant for fitting the ball into tight windows from the pocket and his ability to throw the ball accurately from unusual angles when the play breaks down. Neither of those traits were on display against Chicago.
Ewers' arm talent is merely adequate, and he has proven to spray the ball inaccurately when he isn't "locked in" and protected well. In a Dolphins offense that is as predicated on timing as any other in the league, playing like Ewers did could be fatal.
Zach Wilson has three years of NFL tape showing he is not a very good NFL quarterback, yet the preseason king looked better than Ewers in his limited action. In the race for the backup job behind the often-injured Tua Tagovailoa, Wilson is clearly the leader in the clubhouse after this game.
Ewers may have had jitters in his first game, and he can put all of these concerns to rest immediately with a strong showing on Saturday against the Detroit Lions, but Ewers has already floundered during his first extended run under center in an open QB competition.