The Miami Dolphins have decided to bench quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, replacing him with rookie Quinn Ewers, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter and later confirmed by an anonymous source to The Associated Press. This major shake-up comes after the Dolphins suffered a 28-15 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, dashing their playoff hopes and leaving them with a 6-8 record for the season.
Dolphins' head coach Mike McDaniel expressed dissatisfaction with their quarterback's performance, saying, "The quarterback play last night was not good enough. So for me, everything is on the table," in a statement obtained by NBC Miami. Despite signing a hefty four-year, $212 million extension in July of the previous year that should have seen him through the 2028 season Tagovailoa has struggled this season, leading the NFL with 15 interceptions.
Turning to Ewers may be a gamble for Miami, given the seventh-round rookie has only appeared in one game this season where he went 5 for 8, with 53 passing yards against the Browns – according to the stats shared by WSVN. Bench Tagovailoa comes with significant financial implications, as doing so would incur $99 million in dead money, despite the $54 million guaranteed he's already lined up as part of his 2026 earnings.
Ewers, having started three seasons with the University of Texas and drafted as the 231st player, is now thrust into the spotlight, to start against the Cincinnati Bengals followed by games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots to close out the season Tagovailoa, who had started the Dolphin's first 14 games, completing 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns alongside the league-leading interceptions, will be observing from the sidelines, with the team's investment in question.
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