Quinn Ewers' Dolphins debut was so bad even Arch Manning is taking heat

Quinn Ewers, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, had a poor preseason debut, completing only 5 of 18 passes and losing two fumbles. While not the worst performance ever, it was bad enough to cause concern among fans about his talent and also raise questions about Arch Manning's status as an elite quarterback prospect.

Ewers, a former consensus 5-star recruit and top high school quarterback, saw his draft stock plummet from a potential first-round pick in 2024 to a seventh-round selection in 2025. His debut struggles led fans to wonder why Manning, widely regarded as the top QB prospect for 2026 who recently decided to return to school, couldn't beat out Ewers for the starting job at Texas over two seasons. Some fans were critical of Manning's ability to elevate the Longhorns. Ewers' performance was so poor that some suggested he might be destined for a coaching career, and the Dolphins' third-string quarterback also faced criticism.

The article notes that despite putting up good numbers at Texas, Ewers' limitations (lack of elite arm strength, erratic accuracy) were known. The Dolphins were attracted by his touch on deep throws and improvisational skills, but these traits were absent in his debut. Manning, during limited action at Texas (six games, two starts filling in for an injured Ewers), threw for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and only two interceptions, adding four rushing touchdowns. However, his two starts came against weak opponents (Louisiana-Monroe and a two-win Mississippi State).

Ewers maintained his starting role at Texas partly due to his pedigree and consistently putting up statistically good enough numbers to keep Manning on the bench. However, that history doesn't matter in Miami, where Dolphins fans, unimpressed by Ewers' high school reputation, are now worried about the state of their quarterback room. The article concludes that while Manning possesses superior mobility and the famous Manning name, if Ewers continues to struggle, Manning's previous inability to seize the starting job from him at Texas might start to concern NFL evaluators.