Who Should I Start? Riley Leonard or Quinn Ewers

Sunday, March 15, 2:33 PM

Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers was previously mentioned as a candidate to start Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, but those plans have changed after the team signed Malik Willis in free agency. The Dolphins underwent sweeping changes this offseason, replacing head coach Mike McDaniel with Jeff Hafley, releasing Tua Tagoaviloa, and signing Willis. The new coaching staff and front office regime -- which has plenty of ties to Green Bay -- signed Willis away from the Packers and will roll him out as their starter in 2026. That returns Ewers to the backup role after his brief stint as a starter during his rookie campaign in 2025. Across three substantial appearances from Week 16 through 18, he completed 66.7% of his passes for 569 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Miami can feel some relief that it has a former top college prospect as its backup, but we don't anticipate that Ewers would offer much fantasy appeal if he ends up being forced into action during the 2026 season. It also seems unlikely that Ewers would ever completely beat out Willis for the starting job after Miami made a $67.5 million commitment to the latter.