Tua Tagovailoa has been the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins since the 2020 season, but that could possibly change after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that Tagovailoa is on the hot seat after his team was eliminated from the playoffs. Asked if he was considering a quarterback change, McDaniel said, "The quarterback play last night was not good enough. So for me, everything is on the table."
McDaniel did not confirm that he will send the former Alabama quarterback to the bench. He said that a decision will come by Wednesday as the Dolphins prepare for a visit from the Bengals.
I do not understand how Tua Turndaballova is still a starting QB in the NFL pic.twitter.com/O8jwLqsW7R
— Josh Benzo (@JoshBenzo) December 16, 2025
Tagovailoa has started all 14 games this season as the Dolphins have gone 6-8. He has completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he leads the league with 15 interceptions.
Three of these interceptions came against the Browns in Week 7, a 31-6 loss in which McDaniel pulled Tagovailoa from the lineup. Though the former first-round pick kept his job as the starter as the season continued.
If McDaniel sends the sixth-year quarterback to the bench, he will have two other options for the final three games.
The first is former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, a first-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft who lost his job after three seasons. Wilson has appeared in three games for the Dolphins this season while completing six of his nine attempted passes.
The other option for the Dolphins is Quinn Ewers, the former Texas quarterback who landed in the AFC East as a seventh-round pick this season. Ewers replaced Tagovailoa against the Browns. He completed five of his eight attempted passes for 53 yards.
If one of these quarterbacks represents a better chance for the Dolphins, they will likely get the nod from McDaniel as he aims to close out the season with some wins.
"My job is to do the best thing for the football team," McDaniel added, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. "A lot of times, it's doing the hard thing. It's always what gives us the best chance to win the game."
