Through the first six games of the season, Zach Wilson served as the understudy to Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. That changed on Sunday, with Quinn Ewers getting the QB2 designation.

After the game, coach Mike McDaniel explained the move as matchup-driven. By Monday, it sounded as if he's revisiting the decision to make Wilson the backup and Ewers the emergency option.

"I make a very calculated intentional effort to observe each player every week," McDaniel told reporters. "I think again last week based upon the game plan, the situation and Quinn more than anything, it kind of created an opportunity where I thought with conviction and I think the coaching staff agreed that Quinn in this particular game gave us the best shot if he had to come in."

Ewers eventually replaced Tagovailoa, once the game was out of hand.

"Moving forward, I’m hoping it’s not a week-to-week thing," McDaniel said of his quarterback depth chart. "It will be competitive this week and at the end of the week, I’ll let you guys know who the backup is in the hopes that somebody grabs and takes. I think you have to be willing to do whatever it takes that’s the best thing for your team. I was very proud of Zach understanding that this was not a wholesale change, this was for this game and all things are on the table moving forward in their competition. We’ll settle that on the field and move on from there."

With McDaniel saying on Sunday that "everything is on the table" regarding Tagovailoa, who is now tied for the league lead with Raider quarterback Geno Smith in interceptions at 10, the new backup could eventually be the new starter.

Here's the reality. In a lost season, there will be a point at which it makes sense to evaluate Ewers. Especially if the Dolphins' next regime won't be inclined to keep Tagovailoa on the field. Ewers, a seventh-round draft pick, is under contract through 2028 at a total payout of $4.33 million. Which is nearly $50 million less than Tua's guaranteed compensation for 2026.

That's where the line can become blurred between coaching decisions and organizational priorities. If ownership at some point wants to see what Ewers can do, nothing the coaching staff thinks will matter.