The clock may be winding down on Tua Tagovailoa’s time in Miami. After Monday night’s loss to the Steelers-one that officially slammed the door shut on the Dolphins’ playoff hopes-the team is making a significant shift under center. Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers will take over the starting job, with Tua heading to the bench.
This move, reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, doesn’t come out of nowhere. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t sugarcoat things in his postgame remarks, saying, *“The quarterback play was not good enough.
And so for me, everything is on the table.” * That table now includes a seventh-round rookie getting the nod over a former top-five pick.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about one bad night in Pittsburgh. It’s the culmination of a season that’s been anything but smooth for Tagovailoa.
Through 14 games, he’s thrown for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns, but the 15 interceptions are a career high. His 88.5 passer rating is the lowest he’s posted since his rookie season.
And while completion percentage (67.7%) looks solid on paper, it hasn’t translated to consistent offensive rhythm or big-time wins.
There’s also the cold-weather elephant in the room. After Monday’s loss, Tua is now 0-7 in games played in sub-40 degree temperatures-a stat that continues to haunt him, especially for a team that dreams of making deep playoff runs in January.
Tagovailoa himself didn’t duck accountability, telling reporters, *“I’m pretty disappointed in myself with how I got our receiving corps ready. I kind of felt like I let our guys down.”
That kind of honesty is admirable, but the NFL is a results-driven league. And with Miami officially out of the postseason picture, the organization is pivoting to evaluation mode. That means giving Ewers, their seventh-round pick from the 2025 draft, a chance to show what he can do over the final three games of the season.
Tua Time’s Up: The Dolphins are benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and will start rookie Quinn Ewers on Sunday, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2025
Tagovailoa is due $54 million fully guaranteed in 2026. But his future in Miami is now clearly up in the air. pic.twitter.com/ZzO3gnlouS
The Dolphins will close out the year against the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Patriots-three matchups that may not carry playoff weight, but now carry plenty of significance for the team’s future. For Ewers, it’s a golden opportunity to prove he belongs. For Tagovailoa, it’s a tough turn in what’s been a rollercoaster ride in Miami.
And for the Dolphins? It’s a clear sign that change is not just coming-it’s already here.