Pro Football Rumors
This week’s edition of the PFR mailbag covers questions relating to Tua Tagovailoa‘s future in Miami, the chances of playoff-bound coaches being fired, George Pickens‘ contract outlook and the Browns’ quarterback setup.
Rick asks:
Is this the end of Tua time in Miami? He padded his stats at the end of [Monday] night’s game, but that was bizarre to watch. As Aikman said repeatedly, there was zero urgency even though the team was playing for the postseason. Could something else be going on to lead to such an odd performance on the big stage?
This question came amidst the report Tagovailoa would be benched for Week 16, which has since been confirmed. Head coach Mike McDaniel opened the door to such a move in his postgame remarks.
I wouldn’t have predicted a benching heading into Monday’s game, but based on McDaniel’s comments it didn’t entirely come as a surprise. I don’t think anything specific was a major factor in the way Miami’s offense and Tagovailoa himself played. He is healthy, after all, and it’s well documented how the Dolphins struggle in cold conditions. The Steelers have also not lost at home on Monday night since well before the start of the Mike Tomlin era.
Given what we know now, though, it is fair to wonder if the threat of losing the QB1 gig (at least for a brief period) has played a role in Tua’s overall performances in 2025. Miami’s GM firing has been followed by questions about further changes being on tap. That could very well include replacing McDaniel, whose fate is – understandably – thought to be directly tied to the passer he once found success with.
On that note, I think the possibility of Tagovailoa having played his last Dolphins snap has increased substantially over the course of the season. He leads the NFL in interceptions, and even a resurgence in Miami’s rushing attack hasn’t helped the team sustain consistent success in the passing game. Add in a lack of playoff success during the Tagovailoa era (since 2020) – though, Tua is the first QB to guide the Dolphins to two playoff berths since Jay Fiedler (2000-01), even if Tua missed the 2022 wild-card game – and it’s easy to see the appeal of starting over at the position this spring.
Zach Wilson shouldn’t be seen as a franchise passer, and as much as Quinn Ewers slid further than he should have in last year’s draft, it would be unwise to assume he can become one at the NFL level. Trading away Tagovailoa would create the need for a new No. 1 under center, but even when evaluated in a vacuum his play has not been good enough for a strong market to emerge.
Of course, there’s also the financial element to consider in this case. Tua is already owed $54MM guaranteed for next year, a figure no team is going to take on in a trade. Even if the Dolphins retain a large portion of that...
