Dolphins coach mulls benching Tua Tagovailoa amid QB’s struggles

The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes officially ended with Monday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Dolphins ultimately failed to overcome an 0–3 start to the regular season, and now more than a quarter-century will have passed 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 that a major quarterback change could be on the horizon.

While McDaniel initially cautioned that he hoped to avoid making a “shortsighted” quarterback decision when asked if he would consider benching Tua Tagovailoa, he later admitted “everything’s on the table,” amid the quarterback’s uneven season.

Tagovailoa finished Monday’s game with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. While the 2023 NFL passing yards leader’s final numbers looked sufficient, Tagovailoa had just 65 yards and threw an interception through the game’s first three quarters.  He’s already thrown a career-high 15 interceptions this season.

Tagovailoa’s pair of touchdown throws didn’t get on the board until the game’s final quarter.

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McDaniel pointed to Tagovailoa’s slow start. “I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything’s on the table,” he said.

McDaniel also acknowledged the lack of production in 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 defeat.

Tagovailoa shouldered blame, saying he needed to perform at a higher level.

“For one, I got to play better. I got to be better for our guys offensively,” he said Monday. “Two, I’m pretty disappointed with how ready I got our receivers, in terms of operation, in terms of guys knowing where to line up, and communication when it comes to personnel.”

“That’s something I harp to guys when we’re in our own player-led meetings,” he continued, “and I felt like I let our guys down in that aspect.”

While a decision about Tagovailoa’s short-term future could come from McDaniel as soon as Wednesday, the franchise is financially tied 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 later this week for a Week 16 matchup with the Dolphins.

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