Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is contemplating a quarterback change.
Following Monday night’s dismal blowout loss in Pittsburgh that eliminated them from playoff contention, McDaniel said he's considering benching Tua Tagovailoa.
"The quarterback play last night was not good enough. So for me, everything is on the table," the coach told reporters on Tuesday, via NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.
McDaniel noted that he has yet to determine whether he will indeed bench Tagovailoa, saying he expects a final decision on Wednesday.
If history is any indicator, once a coach starts waffling on whether he's making a QB change, one generally follows.
"I think the biggest thing is that my job ... is to do the best thing for the football team," McDaniel said. "A lot of times, that's doing the hard thing, but regardless, it's always with that same best interest in mind, which is what gives us the best chance to win the game whoever the next opponent is."
Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions. He was previously yanked from the Dolphins' Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns during a three-interception performance, but remained the starter.
On Monday night, Tagovailoa's stat line read: 22 of 28 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an INT. Those numbers are far from the real story. The QB struggled for three quarters, padding his stats with three garbage-time drives when the outcome was already decided.
Through the first three quarters, Tagovailoa completed 6 of 10 passes for 65 yards with an interception and took two third-down sacks. Over that span, Miami earned five first downs and 93 total yards. In the third quarter, Miami's offense generated -20 yards on two drives.
Tua looked lost for long stretches, struggling with pressure, missing receivers and playing ineffectively until the Steelers defense backed off with a big lead. On his interception, he didn't read the corner -- with no receiver holding him in the flat -- dropping back to take the lane away.
It wasn't a one-game issue for the sixth-year quarterback. During the Dolphins' four-game win streak, his struggles were hidden by a dominant rushing attack. He had thrown for fewer than 175 yards in each game with three TDs and three INTs. With the ground game slowed, Tagovailoa's issues had a glaring spotlight.
The Dolphins handed Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4 million contract in the summer of 2024, putting him under contract through 2028. Now, he could be benched. Tua is due $54 million guaranteed in 2026.
Should McDaniel go through with the benching, the options are Zach Wilson, who served as the backup on Monday night, and seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers. Wilson, the former New York Jets first-round pick, has appeared in three games this season, going 6 of 9 passing for 32 yards. Ewers has made one appearance, going 5-of-8 passing for 53 yards.
