MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins made a surprising move before Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns to promote rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers to the backup role over Zach Wilson.
Ewers’ first NFL regular season game where he was active turned into his debut by the end of it, as he finished out the embarrassing 31-6 loss relieving starter Tua Tagovailoa.
After the game, coach Mike McDaniel called it a matchup decision, where the team felt Ewers could work better against the Browns if he had to enter for Tagovailoa.
But later in the week, the Dolphins coach said he would prefer to find some consistency in who will be his No. 2 quarterback going forward, as the Dolphins travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Sunday.
“I’m looking to avoid, hopefully, a back and forth and would like to solidify that, but I think competition raises everyone,” McDaniel said. “It was at that point where it got to that point, so they will compete and hopefully it will remain, but I’m not opposed to doing anything that will help us beat an opponent.
“I’m not going to stamp that or co-sign that it will never happen, but the ideal would be for one to stay and remain, but we’ll work through that as the week goes.”
On Thursday morning, Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith still detailed it as a week-to-week decision brewing.
“I think we’re just ultimately, due to situational stuff, we’re looking for a guy that has the ability to execute that week’s game plan versus the defense to what we’re trying to accomplish and just having the consistency throughout the week and through the preparation for everything we want to get done,” Smith said.
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Ewers had a rough start to his debut last week in Cleveland, nearly intercepted on his first pass and then fumbling, but recovering it. He finished 5 of 8 and completed a 40-yard pass downfield to Dee Eskridge.
He appreciated getting the call up.
“It’s kind of, all right, my hard work has paid off. They’ve noticed what I’ve done in practice,” said Ewers, the seventh-round pick out of Texas.
“It’s always refreshing to get, I guess, noticed. We’re human beings at the end of the day. So when our work comes to fruition, it definitely is a good feeling at the end of the day. And it’s always been my dream to be on the NFL field and play against NFL players. It was a fun time, for sure, for me. Not the end result we wanted as a team, but it was a cool moment, for sure.”
Ewers got word on Saturday he would be the backup. It wasn’t enough time to turn word around to family to get out to northeast Ohio.
“I don’t think anybody, any of us were anticipating me (playing),” Ewers said. “I don’t think it was on our bingo card, but it was a cool experience overall.”
As for Wilson, a former No. 2 pick of the draft, he took the demotion on the chin.
“I feel like it’s always a competition,” Wilson said. “I don’t ever find that It’s never going to be like you’re handed anything in this league. That’s one thing I’ve learned, for sure. And so I’m going to control what I can and just try and approach every single rep that way. And whatever happens, happens.”
Wilson lost his job with the Jets when the team brought in Aaron Rodgers to replace him. He was with the Denver Broncos in 2024, but he never saw action as the third-string quarterback there.
The Dolphins brass brought him in to be Tagovailoa’s backup as a “direct, calculated target,” as McDaniel said after free agency.
“Just trying to get more consistent in my game, but I feel like I’ve done some good things,” Wilson said.
Ewers seemed to outplay Wilson slightly during the preseason, but McDaniel always said then Wilson was remaining the backup. Wilson came in at the end of the Dolphins’ blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the season opener.
