The Miami Dolphins are a complete mess. It's hard to look at that roster, that locker room, that news cycle, and think, "yeah... that team can win a Super Bowl." In fact, it's unclear if the Dolphins are closer to a postseason team or an Arch Manning hopeful. A lot could go wrong this season.
Backup quarterback is admittedly low on the list of priorities for the Dolphins. Mike McDaniel is putting out a different Tyreek Hill-related fire every week and Tua Tagovailoa sounds like the world's most burdened individual every time he takes the podium. But there is a QB battle unfolding behind Tua Tagovailoa on the depth chart, with Quinn Ewers and Zach Wilson fighting for their NFL present and future.
Ewers, a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has generated more positive reviews than expected in training camp after a complicated tenure at Texas. Wilson, a former No. 2 overall pick turned figurehead of New York Jets dysfunction, is trying to show the world that his abilities can flourish away from the cursed grounds of East Rutherford.
Right now, in an unexpected twist, it sure sounds like Ewers is winning this battle.
Quinn Ewers might snatch Dolphins QB2 duties from Zach Wilson
"Rookie Quinn Ewers was markedly improved from his debut, completing 11 of 16 passes with a pair of touchdowns to fellow rookie Theo Wease Jr." writes Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. "Miami signed Wilson to be its backup quarterback this season, and the team will likely keep three passers, but Wilson has not run away with the job, and Ewers is steadily improving as he learns this offense."
Ewers was quite bad in his preseason debut, but Week 2 was a different story — one more aligned with the constant praise coming out of training camp, as Ewers aced practice drills and quickly picked up a complicated Mike McDaniel offense.
Miami is expected to keep both Wilson and Ewers on the roster, but it's fair to wonder if Ewers' breakout might be the death knell for Wilson's NFL career. Wilson has plenty going for him — a strong arm, incredible athleticism, the pedigree of a top pick — but accuracy and decision-making concerns continue to plague the 26-year-old.
He was iced out of the Denver Broncos' QB rotation last season despite a strong summer. And now, Wilson could face a similar fate in Miami, buried on the depth chart by a younger alternative.
Zach Wilson has one more chance to win over Dolphins coaches
Miami has one more week of practice and one more preseason game before preparations for Week 1 of the regular season begin. We can expect to see a lot more of Tua Tagovailoa in the Dolphins' final preseason bout, as coaches traditionally use that last week to get starters into a rhythm before the real games begin.
Wilson is running out of opportunities. If we see both Wilson and Ewers in the preseason finale, there's a good chance the best performer wins the backup job. For as much pedigree as Wilson has, Miami has every incentive to promote Ewers. He's four years younger than Wilson and under long-term team control. Plus, with Tagovailoa feeling less and less like a foundational piece in South Beach, the Dolphins may hope to mold Ewers as his successor. Odds are Miami looks to the draft or free agency when the time comes to cut bait with Tagovailoa, but if Ewers can keep wowing coaches and building a bond with teammates, he will have plenty of internal support when the QB1 job opens up.
The NFL is a business. Typically in business, long-term prosperity takes precedence over short-term gains. By that principle, Ewers has a clear upper hand over Wilson right now.