The Miami Dolphins made a surprising announcement on Wednesday as the team has made the decision to bench quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The former first-round pick now faces a shaky future with the team.
For fans of the Denver Broncos, many of them may have remembered that Zach Wilson signed with the Dolphins as a free agent this offseason and jumped to the conclusion that he would assume the starting role. Wrong. Instead, Quinn Ewers has been named the starter.
It's a curious decision for sure. Ewers was a seventh-round pick in this year's draft after being considered a first-round prospect while he was in college at Texas. He will make his first start of his career this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It's a heartbreaking scenario for Wilson, who came to Denver last season to rebuild his standing as an NFL quarterback. By all accounts, he did that under Sean Payton. This offseason, he was looking for a place where he would have an opportunity, leading to him choosing Miami. The former No. 2 overall pick would sit behind Tagovailoa and be ready to go in case of injury or on-field struggles.
Instead, head coach Mike McDaniel chose to tie the rest of this season, and
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Dolphins coaches have said Quinn Ewers has supreme arm talent, calm demeanor, cool swagger and the ability to make plays in different ways.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 17, 2025
So, yeah, that's why he's getting a shot
The Broncos traded for Wilson last year, taking him from the New York Jets and a situation that never came close to working. The Broncos loved having him on the roster to form a three-headed quarterback room with Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham, and would have loved for him to stick around this season, but the team was understanding of his desire to get another shot somewhere.
It doesn't appear that will come in Miami.
The Broncos replaced Wilson with Sam Ehlinger, who seems so grateful to be in Denver that he is turning down promotions.
It remains to be seen what Ewers will bring to the Dolphins. He may end up playing quite well in his new role. But it has to be seen as a huge letdown for Wilson and his supporters.