The Miami Dolphins kicked off their preseason on Sunday afternoon in Chicago with a matchup against the Bears. Tensions were already high between the two teams after a chippy joint practice on Friday that included multiple scuffles. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t originally scheduled to play, but he was persistent in convincing head coach Mike McDaniel to let him take the field.
“Chicago Bears TV broadcast reporting Tua implored McDaniel to allow him to play today. Dolphins TV broadcast said he will play one drive, which is proceeding swimmingly,” the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson wrote.
Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers also saw some playing time. Ewers has been open about the transition from college football to the NFL.
“I would just say the details and just the magnitude of the plays and how much every small detail matters," Ewers said. "Because obviously detail matters within Texas' playbook with Coach Sarkisian. But in the NFL I feel like it's just another level and just the multitude of different variations of plays that they have that match other plays. And it's, but at the end of the day, I love a challenge."
Ewers has impressed during training camp, earning praise from both Tagovailoa and McDaniel. However, a preseason game is a different stage—and his performance may have hurt his chances of sticking on the active roster.
“It wasn't a pretty performance, but it was his first NFL game. Ewers was not able to move the ball consistently and often looked rushed with his throws. He finished the game with a 27.8 completion percentage while taking two sacks, including one on the Dolphins' final drive as time ticked away. He fumbled twice,” wrote Phin Phanatic’s Brian Miller. “He needs to settle down more and let the game unfold in front of him. Ewers has shown talent in practice, but more preseason games like this could lead him to the practice squad. Ewers didn't make a strong case for a position on the final 53-man roster, and he needs a quick turnaround to change that.”
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Ewers will have to regroup quickly—or he might not have a rookie season at all. Maybe this was just a case of first-game jitters and he'll bounce back in the next outing. But if not, he might want to start counting down the days until he’s off the active roster.