Dolphins coach loses his temper at QB performances: “the play last night was not good enough”
The coach fumed at his side, hinting at a possible quarterback change on Tuesday.
The Miami Dolphins were beached after a crushing loss on Monday night ended their chances of reaching the NFL playoffs.
With three games left in the season and a 6-8 record, head coach Mike McDaniel fumed in the post-game press conference, hinting at a possible change to the quarterback position.
McDaniel admitted to reporters that “everything is on the table” when asked if starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could be benched for the upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He didn’t want to do anything “rash” on Tuesday, but time and space are inverted in sport, and lightspeed is not the fastest thing in the Universe. A day is both the longest and shortest period of happenings in existence, and his tone was most certainly not the same after the Steelers defeat.
“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything’s on the table,” he raged. He added that he would make a decision on Wednesday.
Final. pic.twitter.com/j8cb0ZXwPf
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 16, 2025
“I felt like I let our guys down in that aspect”
Tagovailoa’s performance in the defeat to Pittsburgh did little to quiet the noise. Through three quarters, he completed 6 of 10 passes for just 65 yards and threw an interception as Miami fell behind early. After running through treacle for the whole game, he eventually finished 22-of-28 for 253 yards, with an interception and 2 touchdowns which came as consolation prizes in an already defeated final quarter.
The quarterback situation has been a persistent storyline this season. Tagovailoa signed a lucrative four-year extension worth over $212 million in 2024 and has been inconsistent in Miami colours to say the least.
“For one, I got to play better. I got to be better for our guys offensively,” Tua admitted. “Two, I’m pretty disappointed with how ready I got our receivers, in terms of operation, in terms of guys knowing where to line up, and communication when it comes to personnel. That’s something I harp to guys when we’re in our own player-led meetings, and I felt like I let our guys down in that aspect.”
#Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said today everything is on the table when it comes to benching Tua Tagovailoa pic.twitter.com/WqTpiGNRag
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 16, 2025
What makes the decision particularly complicated for McDaniel is the lack of a clear alternative. Backup quarterbacks Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers have seen limited action this season and neither has established themselves as a strong contender for the starting job. Wilson, a former second overall pick, has struggled with consistency in his career, and Ewers, a seventh-round rookie, has only a handful of NFL minutes to his name.
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