In desperate need of a better backup plan than a year ago, one Miami Dolphins quarterback investment is already paying off.
The Dolphins doomed their 2024 season by failing to adequately prepare for Tua Tagovailoa's absence. They rotated Brett Huntley, Skylar Thompson, and Tim Boyle in the six games without their franchise quarterback, and despite Tagovailoa's late-season heroics, the Dolphins missed the playoffs.
Miami's first attempt at fixing the backup quarterback conundrum was to call in former division rival Zach Wilson — yeah, a questionable move, to say the least. But their follow-up to select Quinn Ewers in the seventh round already looks like a smart decision.
And Ewers' fast start to life in the NFL has immediately placed Wilson on the hot seat.
Quinn Ewers' impressive start may spell doom for Dolphins quarterback Zach Wilson
Talk about making an impact. It's only the first week of training camp, but Ewers has turned heads in Miami Gardens.
"Ewers had a strong third practice of training camp. Made several impressive, big-time throws," writes David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The rookie might not be ready to start an NFL game just yet, but he has looked the part on the practice field. The most exciting part for the Dolphins? Ewers is already making progress and learning from his mistakes.
"Ewers had a nice sideline throw to wide receiver Andrew Armstrong," reports Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Ewers later had a nice throw to wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. Later Ewers stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and completed a pass to tight end Tanner Conner. Through OTAs, minicamp and training camp Ewers has seemed to learn quickly and not make the same mistake twice."
The Dolphins may have struck gold. Ewers surprisingly fell to the seventh round despite some draft analysts, including Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, believing he could go in the third.
Miami may have found its long-term backup for Tagovailoa, but it's bad news for Wilson.
The former first-rounder didn't throw a pass during his one-and-done season with the Denver Broncos, instead getting a front-row ticket to Bo Nix's impressive rookie campaign. The last time we saw Wilson in action, it was during his eight-touchdown, seven-interception season while desperately trying to keep the New York Jets' playoff hopes afloat without Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson spent three years in New York, throwing for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions, with the Jets going 12-21 in his 33 starts. While he presents an upgrade on the Dolphins' 2024 backup quarterbacks, Wilson likely isn't the answer if they need him for multiple games.
It's still early for Ewers, and he needs time to learn and develop, but the rookie offers far more upside than Wilson.
He could soon force the veteran off the roster.