The Miami Dolphins are crumbling. With three weeks left in the regular season, the Dolphins have nothing to play for, and that could lead to a major change at quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa's days as the team's starter might be numbered following his poor performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. When asked about the position Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at a possible benching for Tagovailoa moving forward.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters in Miami Gardens there is the potential of benching Tua and making a change at quarterback."The QB play last night was not good enough, and everything is on the table."
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_)December 16, 2025
Tagovailoa wound up posting a pretty solid game statistically, but an early interception mired the start. Tagovailoa finished the contest 22-of-28 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception and was sacked four times inthe 28-15 loss to the Steelers.
With that interception, Tagovailoa now leads the NFL with 15 picks. He and Geno Smith were tied coming into Week 14, but an injury to Smith opened the door for Tagovailoa to take back the lead in the category.
While Tagovailoa's overall numbers looked OK coming out of Week 15's game, the decision to bench him wouldn't be based on a single-game performance. As Tagovailoa's 15 interceptions suggest, the 27-year-old has struggled to put together strong performances this season.
In fact, this isn't the first time McDaniel has mentioned the possibility of benching Tagovailoa. Followingthe Dolphins' 31-6 lossto the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, McDaniel initiallyrefused to commit to Tagovailoa startingthe next week. McDaniel even used the same phrase at the time, saying, "Everything is on the table."
McDaniel quickly changed his tune following his first threat to bench Tagovailoa. But with the Dolphins eliminated from playoff contention and McDaniel likely coaching to keep his job, it could be time for a desperation play at quarterback.
Those desperations plays include former New York Jets first-round pick Zach Wilson and 2025 seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. It will be up to McDaniel to decide which one deserves to start if Tagovailoa is benched. McDaniel has moved the two around on the depth chart at times during the regular season.
Given the circumstances, it's unlikely either player turns things around for Miami. While the Dolphins have stuck with the coach thus far, the vibes in Miami haven't been strong since before the start of the regular season.
McDaniel almost certainly knows the odds are stacked against him, but probably feels he needs to make at least one last-ditch effort to try and save his job.
