During the Dolphins’ four-game hitting streak that preceded their Week 15 loss, McDaniel had toned down the passing game and leaned toward an explosive offense. Tua had four straight games with fewer than 175 carries. That was enough to beat mostly sub-.500 teams, but not indicative of a healthy passing attack.
Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions in 2025. His -0.06 EPA per quarterback is fourth-worst among quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts, ahead of Cam Ward, Geno Smith and Joe Flacco, according to Next Gen Stats. His overall QBR is also fourth-worst among qualified QBs – Ward, Smith and JJ McCarthy.
We haven’t seen much of the quick decisions and accurate passing game that Tua used 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, raising throws, struggling with pressure and making rookie-type mistakes.
McDaniel’s deliberate reduction in the passing offense over the past month spoke volumes for how he felt about the quarterback’s play. The bench confirmed those assumptions.
A look at QB’s future in Miami
If McDaniel remains the head coach in 2026, can he return to bench quarterback? Can Miami afford to keep going?
The Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million deal through 2024. Less than two years in, he’s been benched for ineffective play. With three years remaining on his contract, Tua is due $56.4 million in 2026.
It wouldn’t be cheap to cut it or replace it. Dropping him completely would cost 99.2 million dead money. Even a post-June 1 release would still count $67.4 million against the cap in 2026. The spring trade would be slightly less, with $45.2 million in dead money on the books. But who is trading for an ineffective, set QB with a $39 million base salary?