The Miami Dolphins had their four-game winning streak ended at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. With the loss, the Dolphins were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
Speaking to the press, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, “The QB play last night was not good enough. Everything is on the table.” McDaniel later added that he would offer more clarity in the coming days.
Tua Tagovailoa finished 22-of-28 with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Dolphins’ 28-15 loss to the Steelers.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Disappointing Season
GettyTua Tagovailoa
In the past with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, his biggest weakness had been his ability to stay on the field. He ended the 2022 and 2024 seasons injured and missed considerable time in each of them. Prior to this season, he’d only been able to start and finish out one full season without suffering an injury that cost him games.
In 2025, injuries haven’t been the problem for Tagovailoa. As McDaniel stated, his play has simply not been good enough. His 15 interceptions lead the NFL, and mark a career-high for Tagovailoa.Sometimes luck plays a factor in interceptions. For Tagovailoa, that hasn’t been the case. According to FTNFantasy, Tagovailoa currently throws a turnover-worthy throw 5.1% of the time, which is the highest mark in the NFL.
Tagovailoa’s 88.5 passer rating is the lowest he’s had since his rookie year and his 36.7 QBR is the lowest mark of his career. His QBR ranks 30th among qualified quarterbacks this season. In 2023, Tagovailoa finished 10th in the NFL in QBR and led the league in passing yards.
Speaking of his performance against the Steelers, Tagovailoa said “I feel like I let my guys down.”
Potential Changes for The Dolphins
With everything being on the table for head coach Mike McDaniel, Miami now has two players they can turn to. Former first-round pick Zach Wilson is the Dolphins’ backup. He has not started a game since the 2023 season. Earlier in the season, Wilson lost his role as Tagovailoa’s backup as McDaniel opted for rookie Quinn Ewers; however, he quickly regained the role. Wilson has started 33 games in his NFL career, going 12-21. He has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his career. This offseason, the Dolphins signed him to a one-year, $6 million deal. At the time of his signing, McDaniel said he was “a direct, calculated target”.
The other option for Miami is rookie seventh-round draft selection Quinn Ewers. As mentioned before, Ewers supplanted Wilson during the season as the team’s primary backup before losing the role. During that stretch, he appeared in the game against Cleveland as the Dolphins were getting blown out. Ewers went 5-for-8 for 53 passing yards in limited time. His 14 snaps against Cleveland are the only ones he’s seen in his brief NFL career.
For now, Dolphins fans will await McDaniel’s decision as to who will be the quarterback when they face off against the Bengals on Sunday.
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