Things may finally start to shift for the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa has been added to the injury report due to illness, though despite this setback, the embattled quarterback is still expected to start Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
It seems Tagovailoa is unwilling to leave the field, but if rookie Quinn Ewers delivers the kind of breakout performance fans and analysts have been anticipating, everything could change. In other words, Miami might finally decide to bench Tua, whose 2025 season has been nothing short of disastrous.
There will, however, be a confirmed quarterback change on the other side. The Falcons will start veteran Kirk Cousins, as rookie Michael Penix Jr. remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Miami fans are excited, but Tua might still play
News that Tua Tagovailoa had been listed as injured certainly thrilled many Dolphins fans, and understandably so. With Tua under center, Miami has been a mere shadow of the explosive team it once was.
The Dolphins currently sit at 1-6, and their latest loss was particularly painful. They were demolished by the Cleveland Browns, a team that has also struggled this season. The defeat deepened the frustration of a fan base that has been calling for change for weeks.
Supporters have been urging head coach Mike McDaniel to bench Tua, but for reasons unknown, he’s refused to pull the trigger. That decision may soon cost him. McDaniel’s job could be in jeopardy if the team continues to falter, and making a bold move at quarterback might be his last chance to spark a turnaround.
Perhaps McDaniel has been assured he won’t be fired before the end of the season. Still, if he truly hopes to keep his position heading into 2026, he’ll need to shake things up, and that could mean giving Quinn Ewers the reins.
Tua Tagovailoa’s performance has declined sharply
Since signing his lucrative contract extension midway through the 2024 season, Tua’s play has plummeted. A string of concussions and injuries, coupled with an evident drop in form, has prevented him from leading the Dolphins to success.
Making matters worse, he publicly criticized his teammates and coaches after a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a move that didn’t sit well within the organization. It appears Tagovailoa has been consumed by overconfidence, and only when he recognizes his own mistakes will he begin to recover his former level.
For now, the Dolphins must regroup internally and refocus if they hope to climb out of their slump. Though defeating Atlanta seems unlikely, perhaps this strange 2025 season could still mark the beginning of Miami’s long-awaited resurgence.
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