Quinn Ewers loses nearly $5 million by entering 2025 NFL Draft vs. entering NCAA Transfer Portal

Texas QB Quinn Ewers was a much lower selection than many thought he’d someday be in the NFL Draft. That ended up costing him a lot of money, especially within the debate of whether he should’ve been playing next season in the NCAA or in the NFL.

Ewers, the No. 231 overall pick in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft, will, per reporting by Spotrac, make $4.33 million over his four-year rookie deal with the franchise. That, according to reports by experts like On3’s Pete Nakos, will be a significant loss as compared to what he could have made by entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

It was clear after last season that, one way or another, Ewers would not be back on The 40 Acres. He played well during his career with the Longhorns but it appeared to be time for Arch Manning for the program. That made it a decision for him between transferring elsewhere in college or entering the draft and going pro.

Ewers was already one of the highest-valued athletes in all of college sports, let alone college football, per his valuation. That, according to Nakos at On3 before their season had even ended in the College Football Playoff, was going to earn him a chance at a deal worth as much as $6 million from teams apparently tampering with him to get him into the portal for his final year of eligibility.

Now, even with his selection in the final round of this year’s draft on Saturday, Ewers is looking at just over $1 million a year on his rookie contract with Miami. Assuming he doesn’t have the professional career that would allow him to make up for that with another, bigger contract later on, that’s a significant difference in incoming profit for him over the next few years.

That has led to said conversation about what was the ‘right’ decision for Ewers. On3’s Ari Wasserman gave his take on it while Inside Texas’ Joe Cook did as well. Both opinions had understanding of the choice he made as, in the end, loyalty to Texas and a desire to make it to the NFL obviously meant more to him.

“Ewers had opportunities to play college football in 2025. Ewers had the chance to earn more in 2025 than he would have on his seventh round rookie deal. But there was something he viewed as being more valuable than an extra million or two,” Cook wrote on Sunday. “When it was time for him to get selected, there were two words he wanted to hear when national television announced the Miami Dolphins’ seventh-round pick – ‘Quarterback. Texas.'”

Even in this era, money isn’t always everything when it comes to decisions like this one, for example, by Ewers. Still, it’s of note considering what it reportedly will have cost him to be a pro quarterback now rather than, loyalty or not, a college quarterback for one more season instead.