Miami head coach Mike McDaniel fires more shots at already ‘disappointed’ Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins head coach once again took aim at Tagovailoa, who was recently dropped.
Mike McDaniel’s controversial and yet very public decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa in favour of rookie Quinn Ewers, along with his press conference outrage of recent performances, has sent ripples through the NFL world, with the Miami Dolphins coach not holding back from stark assessments of his former starter’s performance while the quarterback deals with the fallout.
In a rare showing of an honest opinion at the elite level of sports, McDaniel lit the nationwide newspapers alight at his midweek press appearance as he admitted to feeling that “the quarterback play last night was not good enough,“ adding that ”everything was “on the table” in terms of rotations.
The head coach made clear that the team needed a spark and admitted that he thinks rookie QB Ewers now gives Miami “the best chance to win” going forward.
Thank you Tua for making Dolphins football meaningful again. The most exciting games I’ve ever watched as a fan.
— VBS (@VBSofficial_) December 17, 2025
We failed him and made him the scapegoat. Back to the abyss of nothingness we go. Feels like home sadly. pic.twitter.com/KtPUX3DcSY
“The simple piece is I think Quinn gives this team the best chance to win!
“The decision is complicated but simple,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “The simple piece is I think Quinn gives this team the best chance to win. Our focus is, obviously, to win the next three games, but in particular, like I told the players, we are focused on beating the Bengals, so that was the motivation.”
Ouch.
McDaniel added that the decision “wasn’t easy for [Tagovailoa] to hear” but despite the tough times, Tua “exhibited what makes him a captain and a leader on this team.”
As for Tua’s thoughts, he admitted to feeling “disappointed” with the decision, adding that “I would say the biggest thing, and it’s being honest with myself as well, has been my performance. I haven’t been performing up to the level or the capabilities that I have in the past.”
The memes are fun, but this is overall a sad day. Dolphins fans, including myself, had such high hopes that Tua could be the one to save this franchise and he gave us flashes of hope that he could do it. Ultimately, we’re here now and it sucks. I genuinely wish Tua the best🤝 pic.twitter.com/DZ9MgSa5UJ
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) December 17, 2025
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Zach Wilson, long the Dolphins’ backup, will now serve as Ewers’ reserve, leaving Tagovailoa as the emergency third option, a stark shift for a quarterback who led the league just two seasons ago.
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