Tua Tagovailoa has not only been removed as the Dolphins starter, but he has plunged to No. 3 on the depth chart.
Mike McDaniel confirmed on Wednesday that rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers’will be the team’s starter on Sunday against Cincinnati (1 p.m., CBS 4). Zach Wilson will be the backup and Tagovailoa will be the emergency No. 3 quarterback.
Though McDaniel did not explain why Tagovailoa is No. 3, keep in mind that there are financial consequences if Tagovailoa plays again this season and is injured. If Tagovailoa is injured in game, the Dolphins would owe him an additional $17 million if he does not pass a physical at the time the Dolphins want to release him. That could delay the Dolphins moving on from Tagovailoa if he sustains a serious injury.
McDaniel said owner Stephen Ross had no role in the decision to bench Tagovailoa or replace him with the Texas rookie.
McDaniel said “Quinn gives this team the best chance to win… He has a natural disposition of confidence, not cockiness. If you saw his face on draft day, he’s a competitor that believes in himself. He was very excited for the opportunity, very excited for what that means. He left my office and went to work.”
Asked why Ewers gives the Dolphins a better chance to win than Tagovailoa does, McDaniel said: “I’m looking for conviction in quarterback play. I felt he would play the position most convicted, which impacts every player on the field. I needed more convicted play on the quarterback position.
McDaniel declined to discuss whether Tagovailoa has a future with the team in 2026, saying he wants to focus on 2025. McDaniel typically answers any 2026 questions that way. The Dolphins owe Tagovailoa $54 million guaranteed for next season, whether he’s on the team or not.
Falling from first to third on the depth chart “wasn’t easy for him to hear.,” McDaniel said. “It was a tough conversation, but he exhibited what made him a captain and leader on this team. He understands what that means for his contribution to the team. As a competitor, it’s tough.”
He said Tagovailoa “was an exceptional learner, and always evolving. I still believe that his growth can continue. I couldn’t responsibly play this next game when I thought what the team needed was available.”
As for Wilson’s reaction to not being named the starter, McDaniel said: “Zach, as a competitor, he was very disappointed. You took the time to talk through the various reasons. Ultimately, it’s flat out as easy is Quinn’s disposition, his relationship with his teammates and the motivation. Our team with him as the starting quarterback gives us the best opportunity to beat the Bengals.”
McDaniel said “my job to make the hard decisions.”
Tagovailoa threw for just 65 yards in three quarters on Monday and entered the fourth quarter with a passer rating below 50, the fifth time that has happened this season.
He padded his stats with two fourth-quarter touchdowns, after the Dolphins’ deficit had grown to 28-3, and finished the game with 253 passing yards and a misleading 113.2 passer rating.
Tagovailoa has thrown a league-high 15 interceptions (compared with 20 touchdown passes) and his QBR in 30th in the league. He has won only three of his last 15 starts against teams with winning records, and Miami has failed to score more than 17 points in seven of those games.
Have his health issues contributed to his play? “It would be super irresponsible” to speculate on that, McDaniel said.
Here’s my Wednesday piece on all of the salary and salary cap consequences and risks involved with the Dolphins keeping Tagovailoa or cutting him or even playing him ever again for Miami. It also includes a full look at Miami’s 2026 cap situation.
Here’s what Tagovailoa said about his benching.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM.
Barry Jackson
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.
