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The writing may be a little smudged, but it’s on the wall – Tua Tagovailoa’s time with the Miami Dolphins could be coming to an end after being benched for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Head coach Mike McDaniel announced that seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers of the Texans will be the team’s starter for the remaining three games on the schedule, and Tagovailoa will move to the third line with Zach Wilson, his backup all season, remaining in his role.
Tagovailoa talked about his demotion after the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, which could be his last in a Dolphins uniform.
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Tua Tagovailoa (1) of the Miami Dolphins runs off the field after a failed two-point conversion attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 15, 2025. (Justin Pearl/AP Photo)
“Naturally, I would say I’m disappointed,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s normal human emotion. Outside of that, I’ve got to do my part, my role here now is to help whatever quarterback is going to be on this team, to lead this team, to help them in any way I can to help the team win this game on Sunday.”
It’s been a difficult task for Tagovailoa in his sixth season with the Dolphins. He leads the NFL with 15 interceptions, while throwing for 20 touchdowns and 2,660 yards through 14 games. The Dolphins have gone 6-8 during his starts this year.
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Tagovailoa was able to muster 253 yards with two touchdowns in a 28-15 loss to Pittsburgh, but had just 65 yards through three quarters with an interception before the fourth quarter as Pittsburgh appeared to let off the gas defensively.
McDaniel noted after the game that the midfielder’s play “wasn’t good enough.”
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
“I’m disappointed, I’m not happy about it,” Tagovailoa said of his performance. “But something is out of my control. I would say the most important thing, and to be honest with myself as well, was my performance. I didn’t perform to the level and ability that I had in the past.”
It was just two years before Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) while throwing 29 touchdowns in an 11-6 season for Miami. That ultimately led to a four-year franchise extension on a deal worth $212.4 million with $167 million guaranteed.
But more concussion issues have cropped up in 2024, despite Tagovailoa leading the league in completion percentage (72.9) through his 11 games. The Dolphins went 6-5 during that stretch, but failed to reach the playoffs.
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins looks to pass during the first quarter of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
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If the Dolphins release Tagovaviloa and start from scratch at quarterback this offseason, it will cost them $99.2 million in dead cap space, though they can unpack that over two years.
Meanwhile, Ewers will make his first NFL start against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Gardens on Sunday.
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