Quinn Ewers was once reportedly offered a $6 million NIL deal, but the quarterback was still shocked to be selected in the final round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a ‘very unexpected’ fall
Quinn Ewers remains optimistic about his NFL future despite sliding to the last round of the 2024 draft(Image: Stacy Revere, Getty Images)
Former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers – who was once in the spotlight for a potential $6 million NIL deal – faced an “unexpected” slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, finally being picked 231st overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Despite projections placing him in the second or third round, Ewers ended up being selected in the seventh before inking a four-year, $4.3 million rookie contract with Miami. But before hearing is name called, the draft’s unpredictability left Ewers fearing he might not be selected at all. “I just didn’t know what was going on,” he told ESPN. “But, I mean, it was nice [to get drafted], because at one point I’m like, ‘I’m not even going to get drafted. I’m going to go undrafted.'”
Nevertheless, Ewers is ready to tackle his NFL career with determination and believes his style is more suited to the professional league than college football. “I wanted to continue on my career path, and I know I’m ready for the NFL,” he said.
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“I think my game fits the NFL better than it does in college, honestly. I’m ready for the next step.
While his draft experience was filled with surprises, Ewers remains positive about joining the Dolphins. “It was very unexpected, and I think that the toughest part about it is just the amount of unexpected occurrences there were. But I’m glad that I ended up where I ended up. To go as late as I did, I’m glad it’s a good spot.”
Ewers is all set to duke it out with Zach Wilson for the coveted spot of Tua Tagovailoa’s second at the Dolphins, and he’s not letting his late-round draft choice get him down. “It’s definitely a lot of motivation that comes with it, especially just being the last [quarterback] drafted,” he said.
“I still have the high expectations for myself, but just from the outside looking in, this is the first time in my life to not have that much expectation. There’s definitely motivation and fuel. A lot of it.”
After the NFL Draft went by with Ewers falling to a lower pick, his agent Ron Slavin was proactive, contacting teams league-wide to suss out why Ewers didn’t make an earlier round. “They thought he was a third- or fourth-round pick, but too big of a name to be a clipboard holder,” recounted Slavin, candidly expressing his frustration with “Which I think is chickens—.”
Ewers will compete for the role of being Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovaila’s backup(Image: Getty)
As the final rounds of drafting ticked by, Slavin revealed that the focus narrowed down to just two teams for Ewers. “At that point, it was getting him to the best place, so it was the Cowboys and Dolphins,” he said.
With hindsight, an extra year in college football might have spelled more profit for Ewers, but such a move would have required confirming his transfer during Texas’ postseason, a decision he couldn’t stomach as it would disrupt their campaign. “You can ask those questions, but the reality of it is the way the portal schedule is set, it was not possible for Quinn because he didn’t want to be talked to about the portal,” Slavin revealed.
“If he was going to commit to Miami or Notre Dame, he’s going to do that while his team’s got a playoff game in a week?”
“His teammates are going to look at him like, ‘You’re going to another school if we lose?’ You can’t do that. He wanted to win a national championship. He wanted to leave a legacy at Texas.”