6 QBs the Dolphins could bring in to push Quinn Ewers for backup job

The Miami Dolphins played their first preseason game under head coach Jeff Hafley on Friday night at Northwest Stadium, and they fell to the Washington Commanders 20-7.

Miami's starting offense looked strong against Washington's backup defenders, as Malik Willis drove the unit 93 yards in 14 plays, and running back De'Von Achane capped it off with a one-yard touchdown.

However, once Quinn Ewers took over under center, Miami's offense sputtered. The 2025 seventh-round pick completed just one pass for 27 yards with an interception. He also reportedly suffered a groin injury in the game. Things didn't get much better when Cam Miller got in, as he completed 3-of-11 passes for 39 yards with two interceptions.

While Miami brought back Mark Gronowski on Sunday, they may still want to consider bringing in another quarterback to compete for the backup job. If they're interested, here are a few options they could consider.

Richardson played at Florida from 2020-22, where he completed 54.7% of his passes for 3,105 yards, 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while rushing for an additional 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns. His performance in his final year with the Gators led to the Indianapolis Colts taking him in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

However, due to injuries and the eventual addition of Daniel Jones, Richardson started just 15 games for the Colts over the last three years, leading them to an 8-7 record and completing 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while rushing for 534 yards and 10 touchdowns. While he's still under contract, Indianapolis would probably accept a Day-3 pick for the 24-year-old's services in a trade.

Howard split his college career between Kansas State (2020-23) and Ohio State (2024), earning All-Conference honors twice and winning a national championship in his final season. Between the schools, he was 29-14 as a starter while completing 63.8% of his passes for 9,796 yards, 83 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He also ran for 1,147 yards and 26 touchdowns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft. He missed most of his rookie season due to a fractured hand, but he eventually returned to backup Aaron Rodgers. Heading into his second season, he's battling for the third spot on the depth chart with rookie quarterback Drew Allar, which means Miami could get the 24-year-old for a late-round pick.

Plummer bounced around in college, with stops at Purdue (2018-21), California (2022) and Louisville (2023), earning All-ACC honors in his lone year with the Cardinals. In 47 games (39 starts) between the schools, he had a 19-20 record and completed 64.1% of his passes for 9,728 yards, 68 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.

After going undrafted and spending most of his rookie season on the Carolina Panthers practice squad, Plummer sat out the 2025 NFL season and landed with the UFL's Orlando Storm for their 2026 campaign. He went on to complete 65% of his passes for a league-leading 2,188 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception on his way to a UFL MVP.

The 26-year-old has already met with the Dolphins this offseason for a workout, so we know there was some interest.

Pavia began his college career at New Mexico Military Institute, where he won a NJCAA DI national championship before transferring to New Mexico State in 2022 and then again to Vanderbilt in 2024. In his four years in FBS, he appeared in 53 games and started 49, leading his teams to a 31-17 record while completing 62.2% of his passes for 10,255 yards, 88 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also ran for 3,094 yards and 31 touchdowns.

After earning All-Conference honors three times and All-American honors once, Pavia went undrafted in 2026 and signed with the Baltimore Ravens. However, he was waived right around the start of training camp.

Drones split his college career between Baylor (2021-22) and Virginia Tech (2023-25). He appeared in 41 games between the schools and had a 14-18 record as a starter, while completing 58.3% of his passes for 5,785 yards, 45 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,847 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The 23-year-old went undrafted this year and signed with the Green Bay Packers. However, Green Bay released him on Saturday after he went 0-for-1 with three sacks in two drives against the Steelers.

Garoppolo played at Eastern Illinois from 2010-13, earning All-OVC honors twice, before the New England Patriots took him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. Over his 12 seasons in the NFL, he's played for the Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams. He's appeared in 85 games and has a 43-21 record as a starter, while completing 67..4% of his passes for 15,828 yards, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions.

At 34 years old, Garoppolo is much older than the other options on this list, so he wouldn't be a long-term answer as a backup. However, he's played in the system before and is capable of running the offense if Willis goes down.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 6 QBs the Dolphins could bring in to push Quinn Ewers for backup job