Quinn Ewers Becomes First Longhorns QB To Throw NFL Touchdown Since 2023

Quinn Ewers' first touchdown as an NFL quarterback made him the first Texas Longhorn since this man to throw a touchdown in the big leagues.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers (14) throws downfield during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers was a knight in shining armor for Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday afternoon.

His second game filling the role formerly held by Tua Tagovailoa went infinitely better than his first one last week that saw him throw a pair of interceptions in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, instead trading it in for a two-touchdown day, his first two passing scores as an NFL quarterback, while completing 14 of 22 attempted passes.

His first score came courtesy of a 63-yard connection with wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. en route to a 20-17 over their in-state opponents.

First Since Who?

With his big play to Wease, Ewers became the first quarterback out of the 40 Acres to throw a touchdown in the NFL since Sam Ehlinger in the 2022 season during his short starting stint with the Indianapolis Colts.

Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ehlinger started in three games for the Colts under interim head coach Jeff Saturday, replacing former NFL MVP Matt Ryan at the position, unfortunately going 0-3 during his stint and throwing three touchdowns as well as three interceptions.

Ewers also found tight end Greg Dulcich in the end zone later in the second quarter to give the Dolphins a 17-7 lead going into halftime.

The Buccaneers slowly crawled back by kicking a field goal and having quarterback Baker Mayfield find wide receiver Mike Evans for a late touchdown, but an early fourth quarter field goal by Miami's Riley Patterson gave the Dolphins all the offense they needed in the second half to get a win in front of the home crowd.

Ewers was given the starting job by head coach Mike McDaniel after Tua Tagovailoa's evident struggles, choosing the rookie out of Austin over veteran Zach Wilson.

The Southlake native was the Dolphins' seventh-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft with the 231st overall pick.

During his 36 starts with the Longhorns, Ewers comprised a 27-9 win-loss record as a starting quarterback, completed 737 passes for 9,128 yards with 68 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, all while leading the Burnt Orange to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, in 2023 and 2024, where they lost to Washington and Ohio State, respectively.

Ewers especially made headlines in college when he completed 35 passes for a record 452 yards in the 2023 Big 12 Championship Game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Ewers and the Dolphins close out their 2025 regular season next week with a divisional matchup against the New England Patriots.