MIAMI GARDENS — What we have here isn’t a quarterback controversy. It doesn’t involve the starter’s job, and surely, somewhere in the rules of these controversies there’s a provision that says debates surrounding QB2 vs. QB3 don’t apply.
So let’s call it a quarterback curiosity.
Tua Tagovailoa remains the starter for the Miami Dolphins, you may have heard, despite his interception issues the past couple of games. The intrigue lies in who’s backing him up. It had been agreed upon that person was Zach Wilson … until, at least, the afternoon before last weekend’s loss to the Cleveland Browns when the Dolphins quietly turned to Quinn Ewers, the rookie seventh-round pick, catching Wilson off guard.
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“A little bit,” Wilson said. “I think maybe just the timing of it more than anything.”
Wilson’s surprise spread to the rest of us when the switch was officially revealed 90 minutes before kickoff. And it was magnified midway through the fourth quarter with the Dolphins hopelessly behind and Tagovailoa having thrown three interceptions. That’s when coach Mike McDaniel made the switch, meaning Ewers would make his NFL debut with no friends or relatives in the stands because there was no reason to think this would be his big day.
Wilson, meanwhile, remained in no-man’s land as the emergency third quarterback.
What this means moving forward is anyone’s guess. The Dolphins say they hope to use this week to determine who the backup will be, hopefully for the rest of the season. They don’t want this to be a week-to-week thing. This is no small decision for reasons beyond Tagovailoa’s history with injuries and the Dolphins’ history when he isn’t available.
Less than six months ago, Ewers was selected by the Dolphins in the seventh round out of Texas, 231st overall, or 229 slots behind Wilson when the New York Jets drafted him in 2021. All spring, the Dolphins had put a premium on finally solving the QB2 riddle, saying Wilson was the guy they wanted. They signed him to a two-year, $6 million guaranteed contract.
“He was the right fit and right choice for us,” general manager Chris Grier said in April.
Was the switch to Quinn Ewers just a blip on the radar?
One game of mop-up duty on a dismal day in Cleveland doesn’t necessarily change that. Maybe it was nothing more than a blip on the radar and world order will be restored momentarily. The feeling by coaches, McDaniel said, was that Ewers was a better fit vs. the Browns’ outstanding defense, although Wilson has no history vs. the Browns.
Or maybe time will tell this was the first baby step in a more lasting change, which could either be a feather for Grier or anything but a feather.
At age 22, Ewers is 3 1/2 years younger than Wilson and pulling in one-third the money. Maybe the Dolphins, inspired by Brock Purdy, want to see if they have a seventh-round prodigy on their hands.
Wilson and Ewers, it must be said, are handling this as professionals and with class. Even while thrown off by the timing of the decision last week, Wilson said he’s approaching scout-team reps “trying to do the best I can.” He said no jobs are just handed out in the league and “it’s always a competition.” While Ewers is understandably excited to taste NFL action, he seemed borderline thrown off when asked if things were even slightly awkward with Wilson.
“No,” Ewers said. “Zach’s my guy.”
Ewers brings the wide-eyed look of a rookie quarterback to the table. Asked what he was thinking as he entered the game, he said, “Oh, man. I wish I could tell you, but I really don’t remember. What’s the play? What’s the play we got going?”
After nearly throwing an interception on his first throw, Ewers settled down and finished five of eight for 53 yards. Wilson has played this season only in the opener vs. Indianapolis. He too went five of eight, but for 32 yards.
“They both have supreme arm talent and they make plays in different ways,” McDaniel said. “You’re trying to see both how consistent they can be in rhythm but then on top of that, can they make plays when there’s not a play there? That is something that they both have the ability to do and both are trying to, like every quarterback.”
Outside of the result, which dropped Miami to 1-6, Ewers called his debut a fun experience.
“It’s what I’ve always wanted,” he said. “It’s cool, ’cause it wasn’t just me working to where I am now. It’s family members and people that have poured a lot of support into me. And I feel like they get to see me out on the field and that’s a cool feeling for them as well.”
Question is, the next time a quarterback not named Tagovailoa takes a snap for the Dolphins, will Ewers again be the guy? Will Wilson?
Curious, aren’t you?
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins curiously mull Quinn Ewers, Zach Wilson for backup to Tua Tagovailoa
Reporting by Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
