Dolphins’ Frank Smith dishes on move to Ewers, his strengths. And personnel news
News and notes from Thursday’s session with three Dolphins coordinators:
▪ Offensive coordinator Frank Smith said there’s no need to significantly streamline or dumb-down the Dolphins’ offense in the transition from veteran Tua Tagovailoa to rookie Quinn Ewers.
Ewers, who is starting Sunday’s against visiting Cincinnati (1 p.m., CBS 4), “has such a good grasp of what we’re trying to do,” Smith said. “He’s a great communicator. Certain wrinkles here and there [could be different], but overall we’re not going to completely change what we do. He’s very in tuned with the game plan and how we want to attack the defense.”
Smith said Ewers is a great fit for this offensive system and “that’s why he’s here.” Smith said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian “does a really good job of having NFL concepts, motions, different ways to leverage defense. A lot of carryover. That’s why Texas has been such a vital part for guys, because they have guys for pro systems.”
Smith said Ewers’ arm talent “is very good… He has great touch, delivery, really good with his fundamentals.”
Asked to assess Ewers’ mobility and escapability, Smith said it’s “very good. He can extend plays.”
Overall, Smith described Ewers as “quietly confident, has a good easygoing disposition.”
Asked the thinking behind McDaniel’s decision to bench Tagovailoa, Smith summarized it succinctly: “Moments, not being able to execute on a play where you watch it afterward and it’s like ‘damn.’ You want to put yourself in the best position to beat Cincinnati.”
Player comportment
Some fans have lashed out at Tagovailoa for remaining on the field after the game to joke around and laugh for several minutes with Steelers and former Dolphins defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
“You catch someone in a moment, are you supposed to be miserable the whole time?” Smith said. “That’s not realistic. Everyone was very disappointed. I don’t put a whole lot of stock into it.”
▪ Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said he doesn’t yet know who will be the Dolphins’ kicker on Sunday. Jason Sanders, who has been sidelined since an August hip injury, practiced for the first time this week.
Riley Patterson, who has filled in for Sanders all season, has connected on 24 of 26 field goals, including a career-long 56 yarder against Pittsburgh on Monday. That 92.3% accuracy is fourth best in the league among kickers who have converted at least 20 field goals. He also has made 28 of 29 extra points.
Aukerman said Sanders’ progression this week — and Patterson’s success this season — will be factored into the decision for Sunday’s game.
“We will talk about how well [Patterson] is doing,” Aukerman said. “He kicked a career long in Pittsburgh in crazy weather. We will talk about it as an organization and base our decision on a bunch of different things.”
Asked if he views this situation as A). Sanders is the Dolphins kicker moving forward, period and end of discussion or B). This is a decision above my pay grade that must be made by whoever is in charge this coming offseason, Aukerman politely declined to answer.
Patterson will be a free agent after the season.
Sanders is under contract next season at $3.7 million; none of that money is guaranteed. He has a $4.6 million cap hit if he’s on the team. If he’s cut, hit dead money 2026 Dolphins cap hit would be $663,000.
▪ With safety/nickel cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick sidelined by a calf injury, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and safety Dante Trader Jr. will play more.
He said Fitzpatrick would be replaced by a “combination of the two young bucks. I love both those young guys. All those draft picks we brought in are cut the right way.”
▪ Even though the team is eliminated from playoff contention, Weaver made clear that he will not insert young players simply to see what they can do.
As an example, Weaver said cornerback Ethan Bonner will not be allocated some of the snaps given to starters Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones.
Why not play some of the young players for evaluation purposes?
Weaver said he’s “not coaching like Pop Warner, like everyone is going to get a turn. We’re trying to win the game.” He said he “will be a loyal soldier” if instructed to play the younger players.
▪ The Dolphins have been unusually blunt in discussing why linebacker Matthew Judon was released. McDaniel said he was surpassed by others and would have been inactive Sunday had he remained on the team.
“It’s a production-based business and what we’re looking for at this position hasn’t been delivered,” Weaver said. “I’m excited to see some Cam Goode and Quinton Bell.”
Weaver said he and Judon “had a long talk about him potentially coaching some day.”
▪ Weaver called Jordyn Brooks “the best linebacker in the league. Leads the league in tackles. He’s the heartbeat of the defense. Everything you want a linebacker to be, he is. I think he deserves to be All Pro.”
Here are the cap consequences if the Dolphins keep or cut Tagovailoa.
Here’s what Tagovailoa said about being benched.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM.
