Quinn Ewers Shows Growth in Second NFL Start

What They're Saying

HC Mike McDaniel said Ewers was "very responsible but aggressive with the football" against a zone-heavy Bucs defense. Tampa Bay presented zone coverage on 83.3% of the rookie's drop backs, per Next Gen Stats.

Here's more from McDaniel (via ESPN):

"You have an idea, a feeling that the game isn't too big for a player based on your history and your experience day in, day out with them," he said. "And I think it's awesome in this profession when you believe in people and they take advantage of the opportunity.

"I think Quinn played a very good game with what we asked him to do."

WR Theo Wease Jr. also complimented Ewers after the win:

"He's like the swaggiest on the field, just how he carries himself," Wease said. "It just brings more confidence to the offense. He just doesn't break character. If you knew Quinn, he's just a cool guy."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Ewers posted an OK 63.6% completion rate, but keep in mind that top WR Jaylen Waddle missed most of the game with an injury. Waddle didn’t record a target while playing only 25% of the snaps.

Instead, Ewers leaned on TE Greg Dulcich as the clear top target. He drew six targets despite only registering a 46% route rate. Ewers' most impressive TD went to Dulcich on a nice anticipatory throw in the end zone. Earlier, Ewers took advantage of blown coverage on his deep-ball score to Wease.

Now, Ewers threw a couple of balls in harm's way, but it was again refreshing to see a Miami QB test a defense downfield. His average depth of target finished at 10.0 yards, per Pro Football Focus. And he posted one of the highest deep ball attempt rates on the week (18.2%).

Note: As expected Ewers didn't add much with his legs. He recorded 4 carries for 5 yards, including a pair of kneels.

Dynasty Impact

Could Ewers be positioning himself to keep the starting role into 2026?

As usual, the free agent QB options are thin (Malik Willis? Marcus Mariota?). The rookie QB class looks underwhelming, too. That's magnified with Miami currently slated to pick outside the top 10 in Round 1.

Tua Tagovailoa remains under a long-term contract, but it's hard to see him returning after a late-season benching.

Ultimately, Ewers arrived as a Round 7 pick in the '25 draft. So he won't be guaranteed anything entering the offseason. Still, if HC Mike McDaniel returns -- as expected -- Ewers may get a legitimate shot at starting come Week 1.