Winter has arrived; however, it has persisted longer than usual.
The Miami Dolphins have announced that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been benched, and rookie Quinn Ewers will assume the starting position for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, as stated by head coach Mike McDaniel.
The news gained widespread attention and was received positively by the Dolphins fan community.
“I would say the biggest thing, and it’s being honest with myself as well, has been my performance,” he said. “I haven’t been performing up to the level and the capabilities that I have in the past.”
The Dolphin signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.1 million extension in 2024.
The Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention following their 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. During the game, Tagovailoa completed 6 of 10 passes for 65 yards and threw an interception through three quarters.
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“I have to my part, my role here right now is to help the quarterback of this team,” Tagovailoa said. “Help what ever way I can.”
Tagovailoa has faced challenges this season, recording a career-high 15 interceptions through 14 games. Prior to Week 15, he had not surpassed 173 passing yards in a single game since Week 9. Head Coach McDaniel has emphasized on several occasions over the past month that there is a need for improvement in Miami’s passing offense.
Miami faces a challenging decision this offseason. Tagovailoa has $54 million in guaranteed compensation for the upcoming season, in addition to $3 million guaranteed from his 2027 salary if he remains on the roster as of March 13. If the Dolphins choose to release him this offseason, they would incur over $99 million in dead cap. Trading him could reduce that figure to approximately $45 million, although finding a trade partner may be difficult given the terms of his contract.
“The decision is complicated but simple,” McDaniel said. “Quinn give this team the best chance to win.”
The Dolphins drafted Ewers in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft following three seasons at the University of Texas and one season at Ohio State. He was inactive as the emergency third quarterback for 13 of the team’s first 14 games but was elevated to the backup role for the Week 7 game against the Cleveland Browns.
Ewers will serve as the starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Bengals, with Zach Wilson designated as the primary backup. Tagovailoa will be listed as inactive and will serve as the team’s emergency third quarterback.
“My intent and my motivation is to do the best thing for the team,” McDaniel added.
This represents arguably the most significant decision of McDaniel’s tenure with the Dolphins, occurring approximately one year after he supported Tagovailoa’s extension during the previous offseason.
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