12/17/25 05:08:00
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12/17 17:06 CST Dolphins are benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers
against the Bengals
Dolphins are benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers against the Bengals
By ALANIS THAMES and ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writers
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --- Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was
unsure what his future with the team will look like following Wednesday's
benching for rookie Quinn Ewers.
For now, the former first-round draft pick said he will contribute in whatever
way he can despite his disappointment with how this season has gone.
"Disappointed," Tagovailoa said at his locker about coach Mike McDaniel's
decision to demote him for Ewers. "I mean, I'm not happy about it, but it's
something out of my control."
The decision came after Tagovailoa struggled in a loss to the Pittsburgh
Steelers, which eliminated Miami (6-8) from postseason contention. Ewers, a
seventh-round pick by Miami earlier this year, will make his first career start
Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, McDaniel said Wednesday.
Zach Wilson, who has been Miami's No. 2 quarterback most of the season, will
back up Ewers. Tagovailoa will be the emergency third quarterback.
"Naturally I'd say I'm disappointed," Tagovailoa said. "I think it's normal.
It's a normal human emotion. But outside of that, I've got to do my part. My
role here right now is to help whoever the quarterback is going to be for this
team."
McDaniel said the decision came down to who he felt gave the Dolphins the best
chance to win. Miami fell 28-15 at Pittsburgh on Monday night, closing the door
on its playoff hopes with three games left in the season.
Tagovailoa threw for just 65 yards through three quarters on Monday, and the
areas in which he has appeared to regress were evident again, from questionable
decision-making to a lack of mobility that has hampered him throughout the
season. He leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and hasn't played up to his
contract after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024.
Ewers was 5 for 8 for 53 yards in his only action this season in a lopsided
loss to the Browns in October. He was the 231st player selected in the draft
last April after starting three seasons at Texas.
"I'm super thankful that the staff believes in me to go out there and give us
an opportunity to go win an NFL football game," Ewers said. "And I know going
back on it, telling my 10-year-old, 12-year-old self the opportunity that I
have in front of me, he'd be pretty stoked."
Tagovailoa was drafted by Miami after winning a national championship during a
successful college career at Alabama, and he was expected to be the key piece
that would end years of disappointment for the Dolphins, who have the league's
longest playoff-win drought.
That didn't happen.
Tagovailoa instead struggled on the field his first two seasons under former
Miami coach Brian Flores and was benched several times as a rookie. Rumors
churned then about Miami's intention of moving on from the quarterback.
The Dolphins fired Flores and replaced him with McDaniel for the 2022 season,
and Tagovailoa later said that McDaniel built him up after Flores tore him down
as a young player.
"I don't coach with pessimistic forecasts," McDaniel said Wednesday. "I coach
to try to reach people. I believe in the players that are on the team. My job
is to react and respond to situations. And when I have the conviction that a
change needs to be made, I need to take action and not trivialize any game.
"These are players with a finite career. There's games to be played in front of
fans that paid to see them."
The 27-year-old Tagovailoa had started every game this season but has a history
of concussions. He missed six games last season because of a concussion and hip
injury after playing 17 games in 2023. He led the NFL in yards passing that
season, helped the Dolphins win 11 games to earn a wild-card spot and earned a
big contract that included $167.2 million guaranteed.
Tagovailoa said he didn't think his injury history contributed to his
regression this season. His 15 interceptions are a career high, he is on pace
to finish the season with his worst passer rate (88.5) since his rookie season,
and he has failed to throw for more than 200 yards in eight of his 14 starts.
Before this year, he hadn't had more than three such games in a season since
2021, his first year as a starter.
"I would say the biggest thing, and it's being honest with myself as well, had
been my performance," Tagovailoa said. "I haven't been performing up to the
level and the capabilities that I have in the past."
Tagovailoa declined to say whether he felt this decision would affect his
future with the team.
A total of $54 million is guaranteed for 2026. The Dolphins would incur
significant hits to the salary cap by releasing Tagovailoa. Releasing him next
year would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated
as a post-June 1 release, those charges are split over two years, with $67.4
million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.
The Denver Broncos took the NFL's all-time biggest cap hit of $85 million for
releasing Russell Wilson in 2024.
It's unclear if the Dolphins will stick with Ewers beyond Sunday. They close
the season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and at New England.
"In Tua's shoes, it's tough," Ewers said. "I was benched in the middle of a
game last year. So I mean, I know how he feels, and it's a bad feeling."
___
Maaddi reported from Tampa.
___
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