Read the full transcript from Quarterback Quinn Ewers' press conference on Dec 24, 2025.
Q: Did you ever play Lake Travis High School?
"I never played Lake Travis. Austin West Lake but not obviously where Baker (Mayfield) went."
Q: Apparently, they played in state championship before your time. What do you think of Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield?
"He's a great player, has had a cool journey in the NFL. Obviously he was a higher round pick and then kind of got pushed away and then brought himself back in it. He's had a really cool journey. He's obviously had a lot of success in Tampa Bay. He's a fun guy to watch, for sure."
Q: He's got that snappy release, multiple platform arm angle thing going. Are there any quarterbacks who did that stuff when you were in high school or college that you kind of noticed in college or the pros?
"Shoot, he's always been known to have a cannon, even back to his OU days. It's been fun to watch him play, even back then. I think the amount of grit that he plays with too, the amount of passion that he plays with is what we're all looking for in the quarterback position."
Q: With how much there is to this offense and all the motions and orchestrating all of that, how do you think upon reviewing the tape you did for the first time and now how do you look to build on that this time?
"I thought I did a great job. I thought all the timing snap points were finishing up in a good spot for our guys to get the right angles. I really didn't have any – I think it was one pre-snap issue that we had, so obviously room to grow, room to build and we all have another opportunity to showcase how much it matters to us this week. I'm excited for the opportunity for not only me but all of these guys in this room."
Q: I asked Senior Passing Game Coordinator Bobby Slowik a very honest question, but where are you with the timing with the receivers in terms of knowing their speeds and everything because I can imagine the learning curve from not throwing with the ones to now being the guy with the ones, so just where are you in that process and how are you trying to grow that timing of just knowing how guys like to break out of routes and all that stuff?
"Totally, I think every guy in each route, they're all built differently for sure which I think is fun. I think the challenge of that aspect of the game is really fun for me, because guys have different speeds, they get in and out of cuts differently. It's different if (Jaylen) Waddle is running the route than one of our tight ends. Obviously, Waddle is going to get in and out of his break faster than some of the tight ends do. You just got to rely back on the QB math, what we like to call it quarterback room. We may not have been good at math in school but we're pretty good at math on the field we like to say, so that comes into play big time."
Q: What's different for you, kind of things that we don't see during the week like now maybe you interview with the TV crew on whatever day, Saturday. The meetings, are they different? Are you getting more questions? What are some of the behind-the-scenes things that are different for you now?
"Definitely was trying to build a routine for the first 15 or so weeks or whatever it was, but I couldn't tell if that was successful because I wasn't playing. Building other things in and taking other things out of my routine I think had been important for me throughout the week because obviously I have less time to do certain things because I have to focus more on other things. I'm feeling good with where I'm at in my routine. I think all of us football players are creatures of habit, so big on routine."
Q: What are a couple things that jump out at you when you watch the Buccaneers on tape this week?
"I think that they play super hard. They do a good amount of change up stuff. I go back to it, I think they just play really hard. They seem like they are a bunch of fiery guys running around, trying to attack the ball. Again, just love the challenge ahead, excited for the opportunity for all of us."
Q: As a rookie do you kind of think, 'All right, they're going to try to do these kinds of things because I'm a rookie.' Do you have to get ahead of the mind game of what are they going to do because of whatever way they view me as a rookie?
"Yeah, there's definitely some of that I think. Sometimes it can work in your favor and sometimes they get ahead of you. There's definitely certain aspects to that question that are definitely true. I feel like it's notorious that people are going to pressure rookie quarterbacks more if that's kind of where you're getting at, but yeah for sure."
Q: How comfortable are you at telling Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the staff, 'I really like these two, three plays. These are my favorites,' are you kind of apprehensive as a rookie like I'll let them worry about that or are you involved in that?
"No, I'm definitely involved because man, I'm the one out there at the end of the day. They make the plays but I'm the one getting thrown out there, so I think it's important at the quarterback position for us to tell them what we're comfortable with for sure. It's hard for us because I think all quarterbacks are perfectionists, so we don't want to say we don't like a certain play, but there's definitely that aspect to it. No doubt, it's important."
Q: The Bucs are still very much so in the hunt. Do you take any extra motivation on potentially being able to spoil their playoff chances?
"I think we're just going into it the same like we do every single week and it's just trying to go 1-0, no matter what the record is of us or our opponent. At the end of the day, we want to put good stuff on tape and continue to build the rapport."
Q: A bit of build off about them throwing stuff at you as a rookie. When I covered the Miami Heat, they had a player named Michael Beasley. He had a great summer league game. The second game, the second game he walks into the wrong locker room, but he sees the whiteboard and it's "stop Michael Beasley." They have film on him now. Are you kind of expecting that they've got film on you so now they might have a better read on your tendencies or things?
"That definitely could be a big deal for them. Obviously like you said, they now have a full game of tape not in preseason on me which could help them understand who I am as a player more definitely, for sure."
Q: Senior Passing Game Coordinator Bobby Slowik mentioned how QB Tua Tagovailoa throws with anticipation. That's one of his greatest traits and obviously you're not going to quite there yet, but he mentioned how you can get the ball maybe there at the same point with how it comes off your hand, so how do you kind of weigh that dynamic of throwing with anticipation but how you can still get the ball to the target?
"Totally, I think that even throughout the week, we've actually changed up some of the footwork that Tua (Tagovailoa) would do. I kind of changed it to how it would time up with my footwork and with my anticipation and with my throw, so it's kind of been cool to add a little change here and there for sure and it's definitely true."
Q: Did anyone that we might think is interesting, like a country music star, I don't know – anyone famous – text you? Anyone in your phone...? Like George Strait?
"No, that would be cool. (laughter)"
Q: Matthew McConaughey? Anyone like that?
"He's a good dude, good dude. (laughter) Oh man, I don't know. That's a great question. I haven't spent much time on my phone to be honest with you, so we shall see. I'll look in a couple weeks."
Q: What was something that you learned with your prep last week that you kind of want to change for this week?
"I feel like last week was kind of more of like a scramble kind of deal. It was a short week, got told kind of a day behind if that makes sense because we got back late from Pittsburgh and then I get told – I forget what day it is now but now I feel like I have more time to kind of slow it down and spend my time more in certain areas instead of trying to get comfortable with certain plays and timing motions. Now I don't really have to do that anymore because I have the reps. Obviously there's room to grow at the same time, but I have the reps and I'm a lot more comfortable within the scheme of the offense this week so I kind of have a chance to slow things down."
Q: What's the best realistic scenario that comes out of your starts, that you convince them that you can be the starter next season, that you can come to camp and compete for the starting job? Like realistically what do you think is the ideal?
"To be honest, I'm not really thinking about that right now. I'm just trying to continue to go out there on the field and to win every single rep that I get allowed to be out there and continue to build relationships with these guys out there on the field. At the end of the day, whatever happens, happens; but I hope to put myself in a position for sure to be in the mix whenever the time comes."
Q: Did you have any family that just kind of stayed for the holidays and the next game or did they all go back?
"They all ended up going back, they've got stuff going on."
