During the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak that preceded their Week 15 loss, McDaniel had mitigated the passing game, leaning on an explosive rushing attack. Tua went four consecutive games with fewer than 175 passing yards. It was enough to beat mostly sub-500 teams, but not an indicator of a healthy passing attack.
Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2025. His -0.06 EPA per dropback ranks fourth-worst among quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts, ahead of only Cam Ward, Geno Smith and Joe Flacco, per Next Gen Stats. His total QBR is also fourth-worst among qualifying QBs — Ward, Smith and J.J. McCarthy.
We’ve seen little of the quick-decision, precision passing game that Tua deployed during his Pro Bowl season in 2023, when he led the NFL with 4,624 yards passing. Far too often, the sixth-year pro has looked lost, missing reads, spiking throws, struggling with pressure and making rookie-type mistakes.
McDaniel’s conscious diminishment of the passing offense over the past month spoke volumes about what he thought of the quarterback’s play. The benching cemented those assumptions.
Examining QB’s future in Miami
If McDaniel remains the head coach in 2026, can he really turn back to a benched quarterback? Can Miami afford to move on?
The Dolphins inked Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million contract in 2024. Less than two years in, he’s been sent to the bench for ineffective play. With three years remaining on his contract, Tua is due $56.4 million guaranteed in 2026.
Cutting or trading him would not come cheap. Releasing him outright would carry a $99.2 million dead-money hit. Even a post-June 1 release would still count $67.4 million against the cap in 2026. A spring trade would be a little less, with $45.2 million in dead money hitting the books. But who is trading for an ineffective, benched QB with a $39 million base salary?
