Dolphins will reportedly sit Tua Tagovailoa, turn to rookie Quinn Ewers in a move that should weigh heavily on the final verdict of Mike McDaniel
Quinn Ewers is new sheriff in town for the Miami Dolphins.
The deed is done. One day after Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel declared that the quarterback play hasn’t been good enough and that “all options are on the table,” reports have emerged that the Dolphins are indeed making a change.
Sixth-year veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out as the starter. And now, per multiple reports, the Dolphins and their embattled head coach are turning to rookie Quinn Ewers to take control of the offense.
This is a bold move with several layers. But at its core, McDaniel needs to hope he’s right in the excitement they’ve had for Ewers all along. It could be the last thing that can save his job.
Mike McDaniel needs to be right about the decision to turn to Quinn Ewers amid job uncertainty
The Dolphins drafted Ewers in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft. He’s generally served as the team’s third-string quarterback this season, the lone exception coming in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns. Ewers saw late action in that game amid a blowout 31-6 loss.
You can get into Tagovailoa’s injury history, his injury guarantees remaining on his contract, and the looming, sweeping changes coming to Miami this offseason, and understand why everyone would be on the same page if they don’t see Tagovailoa as the future. But this decision for Mike McDaniel?
It’s the latest statement and declaration of choice at quarterback. McDaniel would benefit greatly from a quarterback not named Tagovailoa successfully running the offense. He presumably thinks Ewers gives him the best chance to do that.
The alternative, Zach Wilson, was paid $6 million to be here this season by a general manager who is no longer with the organization. That move looks worse by the day at this rate, given that McDaniel bypassed the veteran to turn the keys of the car over to a seventh-round rookie. The argument for McDaniel likely lies in the overlap between the Texas offense and the one Miami is running now. Both systems use unique motion and snap mechanics and overlap in concepts.
The microscope is fully on McDaniel. The second piece of the trio of McDaniel, Grier, and Tagovailoa has just fallen. And the coach needs a Hail Mary to inspire confidence that he’s the right man for the job in the future. Ewers will now have three games to try to inspire that confidence. It’s bad enough that the coach advocated for Tagovailoa’s hefty contract extension, which now looks to be an anchor for the 2026 season.
But if Ewers comes out, having had a full season of grooming and preparation as the latest pet project in Miami under McDaniel, and flops? It will be even harder to advocate for a future with McDaniel than it would have been had the team stuck the course with Tua while McDaniel proverbially shrugs his shoulders as the plays don’t work.
Business just picked up in South Florida. And the final piece of their prior leadership is clinging to this move to survive the wreckage. No pressure, Quinn.
New Miami Dolphins starting QB Quinn Ewers
- Drafted 231st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Served as backup quarterback in Week 7 versus the Browns
- Former 5-star recruit who initially enrolled at Ohio State before transferring to Texas
- Second-Team All-SEC (2024)
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