Big times await former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers. The young man is on his way to becoming a star. After all, Ewers decided his time in college football was over. He will now spread his wings and fly in the NFL. To do so, the former Longhorns QB chose to forgo his final season of eligibility to turn pro. And he did not hesitate to turn down a NIL offer worth $8 million for that.
That’s because he has dedicated a lot of time to college football by taking advantage of NIL. On that note, he received huge praise from Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who could relate to Ewers.
Quinn Ewers’ smart choice earned him praise
Ewers is known for his contribution to the programs he has been in. He has led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals in back-to-back seasons. With this, he brought back the national prominence in Steve Sarkisian’s squad after the darkness of the 2010s. But his college career began in 2021 with the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, while players were taking a big leap, the quarterback took the road less traveled.
Instead of rushing to declare for the draft early in his career, Ewers chose to secure a starting QB spot elsewhere in the NCAA. While fans doubted Ewers’ move to transfer to Texas, here comes a big thumbs-up from an analyst. On A Peek Inside SEC Football podcast, insider TJ Pittinger stated, “If your choices are the top five SEC programs right Texas, LSU, Georgia, and Bama…”
He continued, “If those are our five top kind of four programs in the SEC right now, if the bag is is different at one of them, take the bigger bag.” As per the reports, Ewers earned a total of $6 million in NIL money during his time in Texas. Even before Pittinger, Burrow commended the QB’s decision.
On the Dan Patrick Show, the Cincinnati Bengals QB was approached to make some comment on Ewers’ NIL landscape. His journey bears similarities to Burrow, who also started at Ohio State. The Bengals QB is one of the last faces of the pre-NIL era. Burrow was drafted by Cincinnati in 2020. However, it was in 2021 that NIL came into play after the Supreme Court’s decision in the NCAA v. Alston case. Looks like the 28-year-old would have taken Ewers’ path if NIL existed back in his time.
He commended the former Texas QB’s decision, “You should take advantage of NIL. If you’re going to be able to make seven figures in college, you’ve got to go and take advantage of that. If you’re in high school and you’re getting offered that, go wherever they’re paying you the most.” Now this comes off as one of the biggest compliments for Ewers, as the QB is all ready to step into a new beginning.
An NFL scout’s bold proposal for Quinn Ewers
Looks like Ewers has already caught the hype. While the ex-Longhorns QB is considered to be a first-round pick, he has already slipped into an NFL scout’s list of favorites. It’s none other than the New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly. Now what does he have to say about Ewers?
Sep 7, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) and teammates celebrate their win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Well, as per the reports, he has urged the Indianapolis Colts to replace their starting quarterback Anthony Richardson with Ewers. His charm seems to have won Kelly’s heart. So much so that he is believed to bring back the luck for the Colts. The scout tweeted, “The Colts need to replace Anthony Richardson with Quinn Ewers in the 1st Round (No. 14) of the 2025 NFL Draft. If the Colts had Ewers, with that roster, they’d be a playoff team next season.”
Turns out that Indianapolis has become desperate to get rid of Richardson. That’s because ever since he got drafted in the first round in 2023, he got bogged down with a season-ending AC joint sprain injury right after four appearances. Last season too, he got benched to make way for Joe Flacco.
But can the Colts count on Quinn Ewers in Richardson’s place? After all, he had somewhat of a lackluster season, having completed 293 of 445 passes for 3,472 yards. Let’s see what the NFL has in store for Ewers.
The post “Take the Bigger Bag”: SEC Insider Endorses Joe Burrow’s Call for Quinn Ewers to Maximize NIL Earnings appeared first on EssentiallySports.