Quinn Ewers probably wishes he could redo the entirety of Aug. 14, 2026. In the first action of the Miami Dolphins' preseason, the 2025 seventh-round pick looked like anything but an NFL backup quarterback going an abysmal 1-for-8, throwing for 27 yards and taking a sack.
The worst part of Ewers' night was an early second-quarter interception in which he stepped back and confidently tossed the ball to the right sideline ... where absolutely nobody in teal and white was standing. Instead, Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin practically walked into Ewers' pass for the Dolphins' first of three turnovers on the night.
Quan Martin gets the ball back for the @Commanders!
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
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It seriously could not get much worse for Ewers on Friday night. The interception was just his fifth pass attempt of the game. He took part in five of the team's first six drives, the only one of which he didn't partake in was a 14-play, 93-yard march to Washington's end zone led by starter Malik Willis. Ewers' performance, or lack thereof, (turnover on downs, interception, punt, punt & the end of the half) was quite literally a buzz kill to Miami's momentum as the Commanders wound up scoring the next 20 points and earning the victory.
Quinn Ewers' days in the NFL are numbered after choking in Miami's preseason debut
The Dolphins are in a precarious position because tanking this year would set them up for the highest draft pick since Tua Tagovailoa joined in 2020. So signing Malik Willis to be their quarterback was an unusual choice if losing was the goal. If Ewers was auditioning for the lead role in a tank, Friday's presentation should've earned him it easily.
However, Miami has higher ambitions past this year and it can reach those with Willis under center and a subpar finish to the 2026-27 campaign. Willis is going to need a solid backup to keep up appearances, yet Ewers did not show he was capable of even that on Friday and he's still got two more years left on his rookie deal. Last year he threw for 622 yards, three touchdowns and three picks in four appearances, demonstrating serviceable abilities at the very least.
Third-stringer Cam Miller wasn't any better. He went 3-for-11 and threw two interceptions in the second half on Friday. Ewers may be the backup by default for now, but Miami can look to the trade market for a better competitor should it feel the need to do so. The more realistic path is Ewers getting cut unless he puts up insane numbers in the next two preseason contests.
Next up, the Dolphins face the New York Giants at home, where Ewers would face either a group of hungry second-stringers or desperate roster-cut candidates. That's either the best opportunity he's going to get or a nightmare scenario.
Climbing out of a 6.2 passer-rating-sized hole is going to be insanely tough to do. He ended 2025 with a just as abysmal 32.8 QBR and probably won't get many snaps to improve upon that in the regular season barring an unfortunate injury to Willis. There aren't a lot of good options left for Ewers it seems.
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