Quinn Ewers used to be the golden lad with the golden arm, the golden mullet, and enough NIL money to make Bitcoin investors jealous. He wasn’t just playing college football — he was hustling it, fending off NFL dreams for the sweeter reality of private jets, Dr Pepper deals, and more portal buzz than a Marvel multiverse.

But as a result of his choice to abandon collegiate football and enter the NFL draft. Sources claim that if Ewers had stayed for another season of collegiate football, he might have earned an incredible $8 million, as elite schools like Miami and Notre Dame were interested in hiring him. Ewers has instead come to terms with his circumstances and settled for a slotted contract as the 231st pick in the draft, which is far less than what he could have made in college.

Quinn Ewers recently bid farewell to $4 million. At one point, Ewers could’ve been cashing transfer portal checks so fat the IRS would’ve had to create a whole new division. We’re discussing possible NIL offers of up to $8 million. Even if this appears like a significant sacrifice, Ewers made it with the future in mind. The $4 million he’ll likely earn over four years with the Miami Dolphins. Ewers was selected with the 231st pick, which came with a slotted contract worth roughly $4.31 million, spread over four years. Also, there was a signing bonus of about $108,740.

SportsCenter captured the moment, posting an Instagram video that could punch you right in the heart. They tagged it, “Quinn Ewers receiving the call from the Dolphins ❤️🥹” and captioned it, “The life-changing call for Quinn Ewers 🐬.” The footage? Quinn, teary-eyed, answered the phone, his family huddled around him, rubbing his back, crying, hugging — a pure, raw snapshot of a dream finally realized after what must have felt like a lifetime stuck on hold.

But what if Quinn attended college for one more year? In the worst scenario, he would still start ahead of Arch Manning, dominate, and most likely be selected higher in a more competitive 2026 class. Instead, he entered the NFL draft with a shoulder still whispering sweet nothings about an old oblique tear and a high ankle sprain that made 2024 a season from hell.

The cruel irony? Ewers is getting paid less over four years than what one year in a transfer portal shopping spree would’ve handed him in cold, hard, tax-friendly cash. Welcome to the league, kid.

Quinn Ewers didn’t look back — Even with millions on the table

Is Quinn really going to make a U-turn, lawyer up, and play college football again? In a technical sense? Indeed. Realistically? Not so much. He would first need to contest the NCAA’s eligibility regulation, which ends when you declare for the draft. It’s a messy, expensive legal street fight that the Dolphins would not like while trying to get him to sign his rookie deal.

Even if he succeeded, he would still have to navigate the transfer portal circus, which opens during the College Football Playoff like a poorly timed pop quiz due to the NCAA’s scheduling genius. Remember that Ewers had four days to make a decision regarding his future after Texas’ semi-final loss. Four days. That’s less time than most people need to finish viewing their favorite web series in one sitting.

If Quinn had more breathing room, would he have gone portal-hopping for another multimillion-dollar NIL package? Maybe. Maybe not. But the NCAA’s current system rushed his judgment. College football’s most broken tradition — a transfer window during the most emotional part of the season — forced a snap decision that, in hindsight, cost him millions.

Insiders claim that despite all the hypothetical scenarios and what-might-have-been scenarios, Ewers never gave returning to school any serious thought. He has already racked up large NIL checks from private jet businesses, Dr Pepper, Lucchese, New Era, and others in Texas. As Texas  QB1, he fulfilled his dream by defeating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, leading the Longhorns to two CFP semifinals, and expertly avoiding Manning-mania like a pro. He wasn’t about to rent himself out for another year just because a few more zeroes were dangling.