Head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t ruling out the possibility of benching starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after the Miami Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention with Monday’s 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything’s on the table,” McDaniel said Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
McDaniel said he’d decide on a starter Wednesday for Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins have veteran Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers on the roster.
Tagovailoa passed for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception Monday. Miami was held to three points through the first three quarters before Tagovailoa connected on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes to tight end Darren Waller. He threw for just 65 yards and held a 39.6 passer rating at the end of the third quarter.
McDaniel said the Dolphins’ passing game, which averages 181.3 yards per game, “hurt” them in the loss to Pittsburgh. Miami’s four-game winning streak also came to a screeching halt.
“For one, I got to play better,” Tagovailoa said Monday. “I got to be better for our guys offensively. 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.”
Tagovailoa, 27, has managed to stay healthy this season after missing six games in 2024. However, the Alabama product has thrown a league-high 15 interceptions with three games remaining in the regular season. He’s two seasons removed from leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards to go along with 29 touchdowns, resulting in his lone Pro Bowl campaign in 2023.
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