The Miami Dolphins made the decision this week to bench Tua Tagovailoa for the remainder of the season to give rookie QB Quinn Ewers a look at the starting role. Tagovailoa has been demoted to third string, as Ewers will be backed up by Zach Wilson.
Ewers took to the podium on Wednesday for the first time as an NFL starting quarterback to talk about his impending first game in the league.
“It’s a dream come true for me, I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to play in the NFL,” Ewers said. “For that to be coming is truly a blessing. I’m thankful for the opportunity, just happy.”
Ewers was asked what his mindset was heading into the game against the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend.
“I think just to go out there and play the football I know. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m super thankful that the staff believes in me to go out there and win an NFL football game. Going back on it, telling my 10-year-old, 12-year-old self the opportunity I have in front of me, he’d be pretty stoked.”
Ewers was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 Draft by the Dolphins, and has spent the entirety of this season watching from the sidelines. The 22-year-old played three seasons at the University of Texas, where he led the team to a CFP semifinal appearance in 2024. In his final season as a Longhorn, Ewers threw for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns in 14 games.
Tagovailoa Offering Support to Ewers as He Prepares For First Start
Instead of harboring a grudge towards the guy taking his job, Tua Tagovailoa has spent the last few days mentoring Ewers as he prepares for his first NFL start.
“In Tua’s shoes, it’s tough; I was benched in the middle of a game last year, so I know how he feels, it’s a bad feeling,” Ewers said. “Even within these hours [since Ewers was named starter] he’s helped me a ton. The guys are used to him being in there, so I have to do some minute things, some of his mannerisms and the cadence and how he shifts people and whatnot. He’s been really helpful in a tough situation, a frustrating situation that he’s in.”
Tagovailoa Benched: Beginning of End in Miami?
Tagovailoa has shown flashes of excellence in his first six NFL seasons, but those flashes have come few and far between. In addition to much of his inconsistent play, he’s also taken some punishing hits to the head, leading to a lot of time on injured reserve.
This season, he’s thrown 15 interceptions in 14 games, while only throwing 20 touchdown passes. His benching came just after the Dolphins loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which eliminated them from playoff contention.
Now that he’s been benched, the conversation around Tagovailoa has shifted towards whether he’ll still be a Dolphin come 2026. He still has three years remaining on his contract, but if Ewers performs well in his opportunity in the next three weeks, it may be time for Miami to seek a trade and begin building around a new core.
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