MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers earned his first regular-season win in a 20-17 victory Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the rookie notching a handful of milestones in the process.
His 144 passing yards in the first half were the most by a Dolphins quarterback this season and his 63-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Theo Wease Jr. marked Miami's longest offensive play of the season.
The pass to Wease marked the first career touchdown for either player (they did connect for a pair of scores during the preseason).
"He came running over to me and was like, 'Are you going to keep it? You're going to keep it?'" Ewers said of the game ball. "And then I was like, 'I'm going to keep this one. You can have the next one.' We can share it. How about that? We'll split it weekly."
Ewers finished the game 14-of-22 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first half.
Even with the Dolphins eliminated from playoff contention, Ewers said he reminded his teammates before the game to play for "something bigger than ourselves." In just his second career start, he said inspiring his teammates is part of the responsibility of a quarterback.
"I think it comes with the position," he said. "It's important that you tell your teammates how you feel and how you want them to play, whether it's my second start or, God willing, I'm playing four or five years from now. It's always going to be the same message.
"You've got to find out what makes these guys tick and what makes these guys go, but it just comes with the shoes."
Ewers' second half wasn't as statistically productive as the first; the Dolphins' offense as a whole only recorded 72 yards after halftime.
But Wease complimented Ewers' demeanor throughout the game, saying his locker neighbor is the same person in the huddle as he is in the locker room.
"He's like the swaggiest on the field, just how he carries himself," he 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."
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said before each of the past two games that Ewers gave the team its best chance to win and said after Sunday's contest that the rookie will start Miami's regular-season finale at the New England Patriots next week.
McDaniel said Ewers was "very responsible but aggressive with the football" Sunday and praised him for how he read Tampa Bay's defense on his touchdown pass to Wease.
The Dolphins are months away from figuring out their starting quarterback for the 2026 season, but McDaniel said watching Ewers develop has felt rewarding.
"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."
Miami (7-9) snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.
