Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made a definitive, franchise-altering decision on Wednesday. He officially announced the Dolphins’ decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa. This means the starting NFL quarterback has been benched. Rookie Quinn Ewers will immediately take over as the starter against the Bengals.
Ewers, a seventh-round rookie out of Texas quarterback territory, now commands the huddle. McDaniel stated that Ewers offers the Miami Dolphins its “best chance to win.” Zach Wilson subsequently moves into the backup role, creating a new Dolphins QB depth chart. Tagovailoa drops to the emergency third-stringer position.
This benching is the climax of a season defined by Dolphins offense struggles and quarterback inconsistency. The move follows the Dolphins’ playoff elimination after a Monday night loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. McDaniel, the Dolphins’ head coach, openly criticized the quarterback performance.
He publicly declared that “everything is on the table” after the Steelers vs. Dolphins game. Tagovailoa currently leads the NFL with a career-worst 15 interceptions. His performance made the Dolphins’ quarterback decision inevitable. The southpaw signal-caller was previously subject to a quarterback benching during a Week 7 loss.
Furthermore, Tagovailoa created severe locker room tension earlier this season. He was heavily criticized after remarks about teammates missing players-only meetings. McDaniel rebuked the quarterback, and an apology soon followed.
Ewers, the new starter, previously gave a preview of his potential during his rookie quarterback debut. Consequently, this Dolphins quarterback shake-up signals massive organizational upheaval and an uncertain Dolphins future. This development is part of a larger Dolphins rebuilding strategy.
The decision now triggers a massive financial dilemma for the Miami Dolphins’ future. Tagovailoa inked a four-year, $212.1 million extension in 2024. He is one of the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks. Moreover, the Dolphins’ salary cap situation looks incredibly complex if they want the Dolphins to replace the starting quarterback.
Releasing Tagovailoa after the season creates a record $99.2 million dead cap hit in the NFL. This number is the core of the Tua Tagovailoa contract issue. Therefore, a post-June 1 designation could potentially spread this immense figure over two seasons. The NFL guaranteed money contract has staggering implications for the Dolphins.
Despite a four-game win streak in the late season, the Dolphins’ overall record resulted in their elimination from the playoffs. The loss to Pittsburgh sealed the late-season Dolphins collapse. The team now holds the record for the longest active Dolphins postseason drought. The Dolphins benching QB Tua Tagovailoa immediately shifts focus to the end-of-season evaluation.
The Dolphins vs. Bengals matchup on Sunday, a game flexed from its original Sunday Night Football slot, will feature Quinn Ewers’s NFL debut as a starter. Clearly, McDaniel’s coaching staff instability and overall coaching future are also part of this Dolphins organizational uncertainty. This breaking Dolphins news is the start of a new, expensive era in Miami.
