When the franchise quarterback becomes the problem
Mike McDaniel didn't mince words after the Miami Dolphins' 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers officially eliminated them from playoff contention. The head coach acknowledged that a quarterback change is "under consideration," directly questioning Tua Tagovailoa's performance in a season where the Hawaiian signal-caller has posted career-worst numbers. Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns in garbage time when the game was already decided, but McDaniel's assessment was blunt: "He wasn't good enough." With 20 touchdowns against 15 interceptions—his worst interception total ever—Tagovailoa has given his own coach reasons to doubt whether he's the answer.
The timing is brutal but honest. Miami is eliminated, the offense has been directionless for weeks, and the franchise quarterback is actively making things worse with turnovers and inconsistent play. McDaniel emphasized he won't make any "hasty decisions" and wants to analyze the situation with his staff before committing to a change. But even entertaining the possibility publicly signals that Tagovailoa's leash has run out. The potential replacements are Zach Wilson—the former Jets quarterback who flamed out spectacularly in New York—and Quinn Ewers, a rookie who shared snaps with Arch Manning at Texas. Neither option inspires confidence, but when your starter is throwing 15 interceptions and can't move the offense, desperation becomes the default setting.
Why this decision matters beyond 2025
Benching Tagovailoa isn't just about salvaging three meaningless games at the end of a lost season. It's about evaluating whether Miami's future includes him as the franchise quarterback or whether they need to move on entirely. The Dolphins invested heavily in Tagovailoa, building an offense designed around his quick-release passing and mobility. When healthy and playing well, he's productive. But "when healthy" has been the perpetual qualifier, and "playing well" has been increasingly rare this season. The 15 interceptions aren't flukes—they're decision-making breakdowns, poor reads, and forced throws that suggest regression rather than development.
If McDaniel benches Tagovailoa for Wilson or Ewers and either backup plays competently, it raises uncomfortable questions about whether Miami's struggles were scheme issues or quarterback issues. If the backups also struggle, it suggests the offensive line, play-calling, or supporting cast are bigger problems than Tagovailoa alone. Either outcome provides valuable information heading into an offseason where Miami needs to make critical decisions about their quarterback position. Sunday's game against Cincinnati—another eliminated team—is the perfect low-stakes opportunity to see what the alternatives look like without risking playoff implications that no longer exist.
The Zach Wilson redemption arc nobody asked for
Zach Wilson getting another chance to start NFL games would be one of the strangest quarterback stories in recent memory. He was disastrous with the Jets, showing flashes of arm talent buried under terrible decision-making, inconsistent accuracy, and an inability to process defenses quickly. The Jets gave up on him entirely, and he's been a backup ever since. Now he might get starts for Miami because Tagovailoa has been worse. That's not a ringing endorsement of Wilson's abilities—it's an indictment of how far Tagovailoa has fallen.
But here's the thing: sometimes a change of scenery and lowered expectations help struggling quarterbacks. Wilson won't face the same pressure he did in New York, where every mistake was magnified by media scrutiny and organizational dysfunction. In Miami, he's a stopgap filling in for an underperforming starter on an eliminated team. If he plays decently, it's a pleasant surprise. If he struggles, nobody expected anything different. That low-pressure environment might actually allow Wilson to play freely and show whether he has any NFL future beyond clipboard-holding duties.
Quinn Ewers and the rookie wildcard
Quinn Ewers is the more interesting option because he's completely unproven at the NFL level. He spent time at Texas competing with Arch Manning, which means he's familiar with high-pressure quarterback situations and elite competition. But college success doesn't translate automatically to the NFL, and throwing Ewers into live game action after a season on the practice squad is a massive gamble. He hasn't had extensive reps with the first-team offense, hasn't faced NFL-caliber defenses in real games, and will be learning on the fly against opponents with nothing to lose.
That said, Miami has nothing to lose either. They're eliminated. The season is over in every meaningful sense. If McDaniel wants to evaluate Ewers and see whether he's a developmental prospect worth investing in, now is the time. Three games against eliminated or non-contending opponents provides a safe evaluation window without jeopardizing playoff hopes. If Ewers shows promise, Miami knows they have a potential backup or trade asset. If he struggles, they cut him and move on. The risk is minimal, and the potential upside—discovering a young quarterback who could push Tagovailoa or replace him—justifies the gamble.
What Sunday's game reveals
The Dolphins face the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday in a matchup between two eliminated teams playing out the string. It's the perfect low-stakes environment to make a quarterback change without the pressure of playoff implications. If McDaniel starts Wilson or Ewers, it sends a clear message to Tagovailoa: your performance this season wasn't acceptable, and your job security is no longer guaranteed. If McDaniel sticks with Tagovailoa, it suggests he's still committed to working through the struggles and believes the supporting cast or scheme is more responsible for the offensive failures than the quarterback.
Either decision reveals McDaniel's priorities heading into the offseason. Benching Tagovailoa acknowledges that change is necessary and Miami needs to explore alternatives. Starting him anyway suggests the coaching staff still believes in his long-term potential and views this season as an aberration caused by external factors. Both paths have merit, but one requires honesty about Tagovailoa's limitations, and the other requires faith that this season was an outlier rather than a trend. Based on McDaniel's post-game comments, it sounds like honesty is winning out.
The brutal reality of quarterback evaluation
Tagovailoa is 27 years old and in his fifth NFL season. This is who he is. The 15 interceptions aren't bad luck—they're poor decision-making that's been evident throughout his career. The inability to move the offense consistently isn't a scheme problem—it's a quarterback who doesn't process defenses quickly enough or deliver accurate throws under pressure. Miami built an offense designed to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses, and he's still struggling. That's not a supporting cast issue. That's a quarterback issue.
McDaniel's willingness to publicly consider a change shows he understands this reality. Whether he follows through or not determines whether Miami wastes another offseason pretending Tagovailoa will suddenly improve or whether they face the uncomfortable truth that their franchise quarterback investment hasn't worked out. Benching him now doesn't fix the season, but it starts the evaluation process for 2026. And based on what we've seen in 2025, that evaluation is long overdue.