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MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the man viewed as the franchise savior last year when he signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension, could lose his starting job as soon as Sunday’s 1 p.m. game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough,” coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday, referring to Monday’s 28-15 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers, “so for me everything is on the table.”
Tagovailoa was 22 of 28 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Pittsburgh, but he struggled for the first three quarters. He didn’t put anything together until the fourth quarter, which was desperation time after Miami trailed, 28-3.
The question of whether Tagovailoa should/will remain the starter was inevitable.
The Dolphins’ 2025 season is essentially over. Miami (6-8) has been eliminated from playoff contention, its four-game winning streak is over, and there’s a good chance its final two home games will feature lots of empty seats and even more disgruntled fans.
McDaniel said he could have a decision on the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati game as soon as Wednesday.
If Tagovailoa doesn’t start the honor goes to either veteran backup Zach Wilson, who was called a “direct, calculated” target of McDaniel during the offseason, or rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers, who surprisingly overtook Wilson for the backup job and was informed of that decision the day before the 31-6 loss at Cleveland.
Neither Wilson (6 of 9, 32 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 72.5 passer rating in three games) nor Ewers (5 of 8, 53 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 81.8 passer rating in one game) has made a start this season and both have only played sparingly. So far, neither seems fit to be next year’s starter, especially considering no quarterback aside from Tagovailoa has had success in McDaniel’s offense.
Tagovailoa, mentioned in the MVP conversation during the 2023 season, looked slow and uncertain for most of the game last night, which is how he’s looked for much of this disappointing season. His play has regressed to the point he’s not considered essential to the team’s offensive success. During the last five games, four of which Miami has won, Tagovailoa has six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Tagovailoa (20 touchdowns, career-worst 18 interceptions, 88.5 passer rating) has been close to a disaster this season.
In the bigger picture, the Dolphins must decide what to do with Tagovailoa for the 2026 season.
McDaniel said he isn’t thinking that far ahead because it’d be a disservice to this team in its preparation for the Bengals game.
“I think it would be insulting to the 2025 Miami Dolphins to have my mind wander in ways that we’re trying to solve the problem of the Cincinnati Bengals after having a hard loss going to Pittsburgh,” McDaniel said.
It’ll cost the Dolphins $99 million to part ways with Tagovailoa in the off-season. They can either take the entire salary cap hit next season, or designate him a post-June 1 cut and split the financial hit into two years, $67 million in 2026, and $32 million in 2027. The four-year, $212 million contract extension he signed in 2024, the one Tagovailoa said that McDaniel favored, forces the Dolphins to make tough choices in this situation.
Tagovailoa has struggled this season without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who sustained a season-ending knee injury against the New York Jets in Week 4. Tagovailoa hasn’t been able to make the offense exciting or dangerous without Hill, who is likely done with the Dolphins due to age (he’ll be 32 in March), injury recovery and salary cap cost ($51 million). Without Hill, the big-play element of the passing game is gone.
McDaniel was evasive when asked whether owner Stephen Ross had given him permission to bench Tagovailoa and whether Tagovailoa’s withering performance would reflect on McDaniel’s job security.
“First and foremost, I try to keep the conversations that I have with the owner between myself and the owner,” McDaniel said. “Bottom line is like everybody else he wants to win football games. He’s disappointed when we don’t. But I think that the biggest thing is my job, as he has hired me to do it, is to do the best thing for the football team. A lot of times that’s doing the hard thing. But regardless it’s always with that same best interest in mind, which is what gives us the best chance to win the game whoever the next opponent is.”
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“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough,” coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday, referring to Monday’s 28-15 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers, “so for me everything is on the table.”
Tagovailoa was 22 of 28 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Pittsburgh, but he struggled for the first three quarters. He didn’t put anything together until the fourth quarter, which was desperation time after Miami trailed, 28-3.
The question of whether Tagovailoa should/will remain the starter was inevitable.
The Dolphins’ 2025 season is essentially over. Miami (6-8) has been eliminated from playoff contention, its four-game winning streak is over, and there’s a good chance its final two home games will feature lots of empty seats and even more disgruntled fans.
McDaniel said he could have a decision on the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati game as soon as Wednesday.
If Tagovailoa doesn’t start the honor goes to either veteran backup Zach Wilson, who was called a “direct, calculated” target of McDaniel during the offseason, or rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers, who surprisingly overtook Wilson for the backup job and was informed of that decision the day before the 31-6 loss at Cleveland.
Neither Wilson (6 of 9, 32 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 72.5 passer rating in three games) nor Ewers (5 of 8, 53 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 81.8 passer rating in one game) has made a start this season and both have only played sparingly. So far, neither seems fit to be next year’s starter, especially considering no quarterback aside from Tagovailoa has had success in McDaniel’s offense.
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Tagovailoa, mentioned in the MVP conversation during the 2023 season, looked slow and uncertain for most of the game last night, which is how he’s looked for much of this disappointing season. His play has regressed to the point he’s not considered essential to the team’s offensive success. During the last five games, four of which Miami has won, Tagovailoa has six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Tagovailoa (20 touchdowns, career-worst 18 interceptions, 88.5 passer rating) has been close to a disaster this season.
In the bigger picture, the Dolphins must decide what to do with Tagovailoa for the 2026 season.
McDaniel said he isn’t thinking that far ahead because it’d be a disservice to this team in its preparation for the Bengals game.
“I think it would be insulting to the 2025 Miami Dolphins to have my mind wander in ways that we’re trying to solve the problem of the Cincinnati Bengals after having a hard loss going to Pittsburgh,” McDaniel said.
It’ll cost the Dolphins $99 million to part ways with Tagovailoa in the off-season. They can either take the entire salary cap hit next season, or designate him a post-June 1 cut and split the financial hit into two years, $67 million in 2026, and $32 million in 2027. The four-year, $212 million contract extension he signed in 2024, the one Tagovailoa said that McDaniel favored, forces the Dolphins to make tough choices in this situation.
Tagovailoa has struggled this season without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who sustained a season-ending knee injury against the New York Jets in Week 4. Tagovailoa hasn’t been able to make the offense exciting or dangerous without Hill, who is likely done with the Dolphins due to age (he’ll be 32 in March), injury recovery and salary cap cost ($51 million). Without Hill, the big-play element of the passing game is gone.
McDaniel was evasive when asked whether owner Stephen Ross had given him permission to bench Tagovailoa and whether Tagovailoa’s withering performance would reflect on McDaniel’s job security.
“First and foremost, I try to keep the conversations that I have with the owner between myself and the owner,” McDaniel said. “Bottom line is like everybody else he wants to win football games. He’s disappointed when we don’t. But I think that the biggest thing is my job, as he has hired me to do it, is to do the best thing for the football team. A lot of times that’s doing the hard thing. But regardless it’s always with that same best interest in mind, which is what gives us the best chance to win the game whoever the next opponent is.”
Continue reading...
