Dolphins’ Seventh-Round Rookie Quarterback Criticized After Tough Preseason Debut

Dolphins’ Seventh-Round Rookie Quarterback Criticized After Tough Preseason Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Miami Dolphins kicked off their preseason slate of games with a rare 24-24 tie against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. The preseason game presented an opportunity for the Dolphins’ starters to get a quick runout before making way for the backups and third-stringers to make their case for carving out roster spots for the season ahead.

There were plenty of rookie quarterbacks making their preseason debuts across the league, with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders putting in strong performances with their first taste of NFL action, but at the other end of the spectrum, it was a debut to forget for the Dolphins’ rookie Quinn Ewers.

Ewers stepped in for backup Zach Wilson, who completed 5-of-9 passes for 96 yards and led the Dolphins to two touchdown drives. Unlike Wilson, the former Texas quarterback struggled in his NFL debut, and according to Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam, Ewers received some heavy criticism.

“Ewers failed to take advantage of the opportunity to show his skills in Sunday's matchup against the Chicago Bears,” Doric writes, “...finishing with 91 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions after completing just five of his 18 passes. He was sacked twice and he lost two fumbles as the game ended in a 24-24 tie.”

The Dolphins drafted Ewers with the 231st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with the hopes that the former Texas quarterback could provide sufficient depth for a quarterback room that has been lacking such in recent seasons. Ewers had been receiving some early praise for his performances in OTAs and training camps, but that’s been walked back somewhat on social media.

Sam proceeded to post a series of tweets from publications like Yahoo Sports and College Football Report, as well as from Dolphins beat writers Omar Kelly and Joe Schad, who were all disappointed with Ewers' performance against the Bears.

“The Dolphins selected Ewers with a seventh-round pick in this year's draft, so it's obvious that he will need some time to develop,” Sam adds. “Miami will certainly be hoping to see signs of improvement over the next two preseason games.”

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Rookies struggling in their preseason debuts is nothing new or surprising, and it’s early days. Once Ewers grows into his role, he could carve out a role for himself as a dependable backup. However, his ascent could take some time.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.