Dolphins coach mulls benching Tua Tagovailoa amid QB’s struggles
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The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes officially ended with a road loss on Monday night. Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Dolphins failed to start the regular season with an 0-3 start, and it will be more than a quarter-century since the franchise last celebrated a postseason victory. Shortly after the 28-15 loss to the Steelers, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at the possibility of a major quarterback change on the horizon.
Although McDaniel initially said he was hoping to avoid making a “short-sighted” quarterback decision when asked if he would consider benching Tua Tagovailoa, he later admitted that “everything was on the table” during the quarterback’s uneven season.
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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) stand on the sideline against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on September 14, 2025. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Tagovailoa finished Monday’s game with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. While the 2023 NFL passing leader’s final numbers looked adequate, Tagovailoa had just 65 yards and an interception through the first three quarters of the game. He has already made a career-high 15 interceptions this season.
Tagovailoa’s pair of touchdown passes didn’t get on the board until the final quarter of the game.
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McDaniel pointed to Tagovailoa’s slow start.
“I don’t think the quarterback play last night was good enough, so everything is on the table for me,” he said.
McDaniel also acknowledged the lack of production from Miami’s passing attack over the past few weeks. The embattled fourth-year head coach said the Dolphins’ passing offense “hurt” the team in Monday’s loss.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks with head coach Mike McDaniel during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex on July 28, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Sam Navarro/USA Today Sports)
Tagovailoa took the blame, saying he should have performed at a higher level.
“First of all, I have to play better. Offensively, I have to be better for our players,” he said Monday. “Secondly, I was pretty disappointed in how prepared I found our receivers to be, from an operational standpoint, from a guys standpoint of knowing where to line up, and from a communication standpoint as far as personnel goes.
“That’s something I tell the guys in our player-led meetings,” he continued. “And I felt like I let our guys down in that regard.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks to throw a pass during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons on October 26, 2025 in Atlanta. (Mike Stewart/AP Photo)
The decision on Tagovailoa’s short-term future could come from McDaniel on Wednesday, but the team is financially committed to the veteran signal-caller for the long term. Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.1 million contract extension in 2024.
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Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and rookie Quinn Ewers are the two quarterbacks listed behind Tagovailoa on the Dolphins’ depth chart.
The Dolphins fell to 6-8 on Monday. The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to South Florida this weekend for a Week 16 matchup with the Dolphins.
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