This season has been disastrous for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He’s lost his rhythm, and whenever it seems like he’s about to find it again, something happens to derail both him and the team.
The Week 7 matchup against the Cleveland Browns featured two teams struggling to find any semblance of consistency. Some even called it the “Tear Bowl.” That’s how bad it was. In the end, the Browns came away with the win, leaving Miami in even deeper trouble.
Once again, Tua’s performance on the field was disappointing. To make matters worse, he no longer has one of his top weapons, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who is out for the season after tearing a knee ligament. That absence has only magnified the quarterback’s struggles and further exposed the team’s weaknesses.
Rumors indicate that team owner Stephen Ross does not plan to fire head coach Mike McDaniel for the remainder of the season. Given that scenario, it’s expected, or perhaps hoped, that McDaniel will bench his starting quarterback and give rookie Quinn Ewers a chance if he wants to keep his job heading into next year.
The reasons McDaniel should bench Tagovailoa
There are several valid arguments in favor of Mike McDaniel deciding to sit Tua Tagovailoa. To begin with, the quarterback’s recent public criticism of coaches and teammates has not gone unnoticed within the organization.
Then there’s the abysmal, dreadful, and outright embarrassing Week 7 performance against the Browns. Tagovailoa threw three interceptions, yes, against the Browns, a team many believed was just as bad as Miami but turned out to be slightly better.
Even so, that might not be enough to get him benched yet, as reports suggest he’s still expected to start in the upcoming Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
What’s puzzling is how Tagovailoa’s decline began right after he signed his four-year, $212.4 million contract extension before the 2024 season. His regression started last year, when he finished with a 7-11 record as the starting quarterback. So far this season, he has only 11 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, a clear sign of stagnation.
Before last week’s game against Cleveland, McDaniel promoted rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers to serve as Tagovailoa’s backup, suggesting that something in the young player’s recent practices impressed him. That move might signal an imminent change under center.
If a switch were to occur and the team managed to turn around its current 1-6 slump, owner Stephen Ross might realize the real issue lies with the quarterback, not the coach, potentially giving McDaniel another chance heading into 2026.
Tagovailoa is guaranteed $56 million next season, which would heavily impact the team’s salary cap.
The situation is clear: if McDaniel wants to save his job, he must make tough decisions, ones that could secure a stronger performance with Ewers leading the offense.
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