Tua Tagovailoa has stood at the helm for the Miami Dolphins since the 2020 season, but whispers of a potential shift in leadership are growing louder following a disheartening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head coach Mike McDaniel recognized that Tagovailoa’s position is under scrutiny after the team’s playoff hopes came to an abrupt end. When asked if he might consider making a quarterback change, McDaniel responded, “The quarterback play last night was not good enough. So for me, everything is on the table.”
Although McDaniel has not definitively stated that he will bench the former Alabama star, he indicated that a decision will be reached by Wednesday as the Dolphins gear up to face the Bengals.
I do not understand how Tua Turndaballova is still a starting QB in the NFL pic.twitter.com/O8jwLqsW7R
— Josh Benzo (@JoshBenzo) December 16, 2025
Tagovailoa has been the starter in all 14 games this season, leading the Dolphins to a record of 6-8. He boasts a 67.7% completion rate with 2,660 passing yards and 20 touchdown throws, yet he also finds himself leading the league with 15 interceptions.
Three of those interceptions occurred in a disastrous Week 7 loss to the Browns, where the Dolphins fell 31-6, prompting McDaniel to pull Tagovailoa from the game. Still, despite that setback, the former first-round pick retained his role as the starter as the season progressed.
If McDaniel opts to bench the sixth-year quarterback, he has two alternatives for the final three games.
The first is Zach Wilson, formerly of the Jets, a first-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft who lost his starting role after three seasons. Wilson has seen the field in three games for the Dolphins this season, completing six of nine attempts.
Another option is Quinn Ewers, the former Texas quarterback, who was selected in the seventh round this season. Ewers notably replaced Tagovailoa against the Browns, completing five of eight passes for 53 yards.
If either quarterback appears to provide a better opportunity for success, McDaniel will likely hand over the keys as he aims to finish the season strong.
“My job is to do the best thing for the football team,” McDaniel asserted, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “A lot of times, it’s doing the hard thing. It’s always what gives us the best chance to win the game.”
