Read the full transcript from Quinn Ewers' Postgame press conference on January 4, 2026.
Q: First up, how you doing? Saw you were banged up there at the end. How are you feeling now?
Still evaluating it. Don't have a whole lot of details right now, but we'll evaluate it when I get back. But we'll see.
Q: Ultimately was the downfall in this game but you kept the team up as long as possible and then got away from you. Evaluate the team as a whole at the end.
Totally, yeah. We started well, started playing well at the start. Then coming out second half I thought we put a solid drive together there and then I tried to go make a play there into the end zone and unfortunately I ended up throwing an interception, which is one of those things you wish you could have back. Just more things to evaluate going into the off season.
Q: What were you looking for on that throw into the end zone? Were you thinking about Tahj? Because Tahj's man came off. Were you making that (inaudible).
Yeah, no, I was looking at Theo and then it all goes back to I think I was trying to force it a little bit too much there. I think I could have dumped it off the Greg at the end of the day, but I think it's part of the learning process and going to continue to try to grow as a player and as a person also, but like you said, Tahj's man just fell off and I threw it right to him, so.
Q: What do you think improved over the three starts that you had?
Yeah, I thought I did a good job of I think number one, responding to challenges all three weeks. It's unfortunate whenever the season doesn't end your way and how you want it to end, but I thought I did a good job of kind of rallying the guys around me and kind of continuing to fight.
Q: How do you think you should be viewed by this organization going into the offseason as a guy who should have a start at starting? Competing to start next season or...?
Right. No, that's a great question. I'm behind this organization. It's the team that took a chance on me and it goes all the way back to when I got drafted. They took a chance on me in the draft and then they took a chance on me the last three weeks of the season, so I got full trust in whatever decision they want to make.
Q: Quinn, according to this game today, early on, everything was going well offensively. You were throwing the ball well, running the ball well. Second half, what changed at that point?
Yeah, no, I think it goes back to the interception I threw. We came out third quarter and we were -- I thought we responded really well after I forget whatever it was but we had a pretty decent distance to get the first down on the first three plays. And then we started the drive down the field. We got in a great position and I think I just tried to force a throw at the end of the day, which kind of was the turning point in the game, which is unfortunate.
Q: So in the three games you played, you feel confident that this league is not too big for you?
At the end of the day, it all goes back, I think, to what I said last week and where my foundation lies. I think that helps me kind of remain in each and every moment and not look too far forward which only causes anxiety and not look too far back, which also causes I think anxiety. When I stay in the moment and I encourage the guys, things seem to flow for sure.
Q: You got to work with a lot of young pass catchers, experienced pass catchers through this course of three starts. What do you think about the potential of those guys, whether it's Theo, Tahj?
Right. Yeah, no, I think that they're all solid players and it was awesome to share the field with those guys because they came up big for me in big moments.
Q: Ultimately what do you feel like playing many this environment, this road NFL start, cold weather, just all of it?
I felt great in it. I didn't feel like it was too cold out there to play football, but we're going to have to definitely take a look on responding in the second half of football games.
Q: What did you hear from Mike at the end as this season now comes to an end?
Yeah, I think we were all frustrated, as we should be. It's the life of the a competitor. When you're enamored with winning and winning and it doesn't end up falling your way, you are frustrated, but I think that he was proud of the way that we continued to fight on these last three weeks after we kind of knew that we were eliminated, three or four weeks, whatever it was. I think he's proud of the way that we fought and responded through adversity.
Q: What do you think of this rookie class as a whole? A large class that came in first year in the NFL. How do you think you guys jelled?
I think it goes back to how we all responded. I thought we did a great job responding when our name was called and being focused on the opportunity that we all got. It even goes to the defensive guys that got opportunities that were rookies. I thought we all had a good showing of why they should have drafted us.
Q: How would you describe this last calendar year for you mentally as well as emotionally just with the ups and downs of what this last year has meant for you?
Yeah, that's a great question. Everyone says your rookie year is your longest year. It started back because I played January 10th was my last college football game and then we jump into combine training and so on and so forth. Now here we are, a full year later. Just a week less later, I guess, but it's been long, but it's been what I've wanted. I wanted an opportunity to play in the NFL. Got the opportunity when I was drafted. Proved myself to where the coaches and the front office believed that I could start in the NFL and then won a game. It's a dream come true.
