Entering the 2026 offseason, there was some thought that the Miami Dolphins would potentially have a quarterback competition.
That seemed to be the plan that new head coach Jeff Hafley laid out for the team. However, things quickly shifted as the Dolphins signed Malik Willis to a three-year, $67 million contract in free agency with $45 million guaranteed.
While Willis lacks experience, the high price Miami paid for him appeared to make him the unquestioned starter. Despite this, some members of the media clamored for the Dolphins to give second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers a chance to earn the starting job after showing some positive signs during his three starts in the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, it appears Ewers has regressed during training camp, and one of those media members has called him out for his disappointing play.
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Called Out
The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly discussed the disappointing play of second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers while on The Dolphins Collective. Kelly said, “Quinn (Ewers) has been trash, and I like Quinn.”
Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart then added regarding Ewers’ struggles, “I didn’t expect it.”
Kelly added, “I’m through making excuses for him, because there are no excuses. The line is not that great? Okay. He’s got better receivers than he had last year when he looked great.”
Poupart then intervened saying, “That’s the point right there, did he look great or did he look great for a rookie seventh-round pick playing the last three games on a team that’s out of the playoffs?”
Kelly replied, “He made quick decisions in practice, he was poised… There was a moment where I saw him throw an interception and Jeff Hafley went to talk to him, like a couple of days ago, and he hung his head. You can just tell when guys start to press, and Quinn is past the point of pressing. Like, Quinn is, we were pressing four days ago, he is just digging himself deeper in a hole.”
Poupart finished by adding, “I think we oversold him on what he did last year, including this notion of “he should be given the right to compete for the starting job.” To me, the ceiling was kind of like, “The Dolphins have themselves a really solid number two quarterback” and right now, that’s in question.”
Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks
Fortunately for the Dolphins, it appears that early returns out of Malik Willis have been strong. In his training camp observations for the second week of Dolphins training camp, Kelly wrote for The Miami Herald that Willis is “progressively getting better.”
Kelly wrote: “Willis has shown steady, consistent development throughout training camp’s first nine practices. He’s developing chemistry with a few of his weapons. He’s showcasing impressive pocket presence, and his ability to throw accurate passes on the move has helped him shine. If Willis continues to get comfortable, and can speed up his diagnostic skills, he could potentially become a top 16 quarterback in his first full season as an NFL starter.”
Meanwhile, he continued his criticism of Ewers as he wrote:
“Ewers isn’t nearly as bad as he has practiced this past week. While the former Texas standout had some decent moments during Saturday’s practice, his second week of practice doubled down on a lackluster first week, and hints that his confidence might be shaken. Ewers shines when he’s decisive, and his weaponry is consistent. He would benefit from working with a stable, and consistent receiver unit next week, allowing them — Theo Wease Jr., Tahj Washington and A.J. Henning — to develop some chemistry and cohesion.”
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Put on Notice: ‘Has Been Trash’