Dolphins' Mike McDaniel says 'everything is on the table' regarding potentially benching of QB Tua Tagovailoa

Miami may start a different quarterback in Week 16

The Miami Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention on Monday night, as they were defeated by Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-15. The Dolphins entered this prime-time matchup riding a four-game winning streak, but were simply beat down by a better team. 

The status of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is again being questioned, as he completed 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on Monday night. The box score doesn't tell the entire story. Tagovailoa's two passing touchdowns came in the fourth quarter when Miami was already trailing by double digits, and the Dolphins went a putrid 2 of 8 on third downs.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was asked by reporters on Tuesday if he was considering a quarterback change. McDaniel confirmed he was.  

"Well I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything is on the table," McDaniel said.

Who would McDaniel start if he were to bench Tagovailoa?

"Well I think that we are in the process of game-planning for the Cincinnati Bengals, so in that process, we are trying to determine who will give us the best chance to win and I'll probably give you more clarity on that tomorrow, as we are 14 hours removed from the game," McDaniel responded. 

The Dolphins have two other quarterbacks on roster: Former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers. If Tagovailoa were to be benched, it may be Wilson who is handed the keys to the offense, as Ewers was the designated QB3 on Monday night.

In 14 games this season, Tagovailoa has completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and a league-leading 15 interceptions, which also marks a career high. The former Pro Bowler has appeared to have regressed this season. In 2022, Tagovailoa led the NFL in yards per attempt and passer rating. The following year, he led the NFL in passing yards with 4,624. That led to him signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension with $167 million in guarantees in July 2024. 

The Dolphins cannot easily move on from Tagovailoa if they choose to do so this offseason. The former No. 5 overall pick is signed through 2028, and carries a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026. Still, it's possible this week could mark the end of the Tagovailoa era in Miami.