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The Miami Dolphins are making a big move at the quarterback position. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel explained that he was considering benching QB Tua Tagovailoa following Monday’s ugly loss to the Steelers. Now it appears that Miami has made up their mind on that topic.
The Dolphins are benching Tagovailoa and will start rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers on Saturday against the Bengals, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
McDaniel made it clear that benching Tua was on the table following Monday Night Football.
“The QB play last night was not good enough, and everything is on the table,” McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday, per Dolphins reporter David Furones.
Tua went 22-of-28 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against the Steelers. Those stats look fine, but he struggled to push the ball down the field, only connecting with wide receivers a few times.
This decision will create plenty of controversy around the Dolphins, including questions about Tua’s future with the team.
The narrative was already alive, with NFL insiders exploring “viable” trade scenarios around the trade deadline.
But this benching could be the final decision that ends Tua Time in Miami.
Dolphins vs. Bengals kicks off at 1PM ET on Sunday. It will be Ewers’ first start as an NFL quarterback.
Miami’s decision to bench Tua suggests the team is open to moving on from their franchise quarterback. But that is much easier said than done.
The Dolphins extended Tagovailoa on a four-year contract worth $212 million back in 2024. And the ramifications of that contract could certainly come back to haunt Miami’s front office.
Tagovailoa is under contract with $54 million guaranteed in 2026. That could make it difficult financially to part ways with him.
Miami is already projected to be $11.64 million over the 2026 salary cap, which is a tough position to be in by itself. Parting ways with Tua could be almost impossible, unless the Dolphins make a flurry of additional roster moves to become cap compliant.
Perhaps the most likely move is adding competition for Tua during the offseason while keeping him on the roster in 2026.
Either way, this should be a major storyline in Miami during the offseason.
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