Dolphins QB Quinn Ewers struggles in preseason debut; is the ex-Texas star in danger of not making the team?

While Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart both had memorable NFL debuts, the first preseason action for fellow rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers was anything but as he struggled mightily for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. 

Ewers, the one-time No. 1 high school recruit in the country, became a college star at Texas but fell all the way to the seventh round of the 2025 draft before he was finally taken by Miami with the 231st pick. Ewers saw his first pro action against the Chicago Bears after taking the field midway through the third quarter on Sunday. Things did not go well as he completed just five of his 18 attempts for 91 yards, was sacked twice and lost two fumbles in an eventual 24-24 tie.

The first fumble capped off a rocky first two series for Ewers, who went 0 of 4 passing over that span. 

Ewers would also misfire on his fifth attempt before recording his first NFL completion, a 21-yard strike to running back Alexander Mattison on Miami's ensuing drive. The completion helped set up running back Ollie Gordon II's short touchdown run that gave the Dolphins a 21-17 lead. 

After Chicago regained the lead on its ensuing possession, Ewers responded with a nice 18-yard completion to wideout AJ Henning that helped set up a tying field goal. 

On Miami's next drive, Ewers converted on a fourth-and-5 play when he hit Gordon for a 19-yard completion that got Miami into field goal range. The drive ended, however, with Ewers committing his second fumble of the game after he succumbed to Chicago's all-out blitz. Ewers later ended the game with a short completion that led to a few pitches as the Dolphins unsuccessfully tried to break the tie on the game's final play. 

Will Quinn Ewers make the Dolphins' 53-man roster?

Ewers struggled handling Chicago's pressure throughout the game, often leading to sloppy footwork in the pocket and erratic misfires to his receivers as he tried to go through his progressions. Though it's just one preseason game, Ewers' afternoon did not do anything in terms of creating a possible position battle between himself and Zach Wilson as the primary backup in Miami. While Wilson also wasn't great, the former No. 2 overall pick was significantly more consistent as he went 5 of 9 for 96 yards. 

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Neither quarterback received stellar protection on Sunday. Wilson was sacked four times, while both of Ewers' fumbles were the result of sacks. But while his line didn't help on either of those plays, Ewers still has to do a better job in terms of taking care of the ball. 

At this point, it appears that there is no competition in Miami when it comes to being Tua Tagovailoa's primary backup. In fact, the bigger question may be whether or not Ewers will have a spot on Miami's initial 53-man roster. 

The Dolphins don't have a fourth quarterback in camp, so the odds are still in Ewers' favor in terms of being on Miami's regular season roster. The Dolphins drafted him because they clearly believe in his potential, and he'll have opportunities to show growth as the preseason continues. The Dolphins could prefer to be patient with Ewers considering his place on the depth chart, or the front office could potentially look for upgrades on the waiver wire after roster cuts while hoping to stash Ewers on the practice squad. 

One thing is clear: Ewers will have to play better during Miami's last two preseason games if he wants to ensure himself a spot on the team.