Mike McDaniel is giving Tua Tagovailoa yet another vote of confidence even after a disastrous start to the 2025 NFL season by the Miami Dolphins. On Monday, the Fins’ head coach let Tua know he will remain the starter ahead of Quinn Ewers and Zach Wilson.
However, McDaniel’s confirmation didn’t come without a warning for his quarterback. While his decision to keep Tagovailoa as QB1 made the most headlines, McDaniel also made noise with a clear dig at the Alabama product.
“He’s gonna take the snaps this week and he’s gonna be our starter this week,” McDaniel said of Tagovailoa on Monday, before publicly putting Tagovailoa on notice about his turnovers. “My expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks.“
Tagovailoa’s concerning 2025 performance
Tagovailoa is coming off his second consecutive game with three interceptions, bringing his total picks to 10 for the 2025 NFL season — tied with the Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith for the league worst.
With the Dolphins’ 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns — who were 1-5 until Sunday —all but sealed, McDaniel benched Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers late in the fourth quarter. That led to speculation of a permanent change moving forward, but Miami isn’t going that far yet.
McDaniel will be trusting in Tagovailoa at least one more time when the 1-6 Dolphins travel to Georgia for a road game against the 3-3 Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Actions speak louder than words, so even if McDaniel is publicly calling out his quarterback, what Dolphins fans want to see are real changes.
Dolphins starting to regret decisions with Tagovailoa
Selected fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Dolphins’ decisions with Tagovailoa have aged poorly. Not only is Tua leaving a lot to be desired for a first-round pick, but he’s also failing to justify his lucrative deal.
In 2024, the Dolphins handed Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4 million extension. It’s safe to say that Miami panicked, breaking the bank as Tua was entering the final year of his rookie contract. Tagovailoa had a promising season in 2023, but perhaps the Dolphins needed to see more from him before making such a commitment.
That extension was followed by a frustrating 2024 campaign, which saw Tagovailoa miss multiple games due to concussion and a hip injury. The Dolphins missed the playoffs, but fans were left wondering what if Tua stayed healthy…
Well, 2025 is not providing a great answer. Tagovailoa is failing to secure wins and the Dolphins’ playoff hopes look all but over with multiple weeks to go. McDaniel isn’t throwing in the towel yet, but the head coach’s public comments suggest that even his patience is wearing thin. Will Tagovailoa step up, or will the Dolphins feel forced to make a drastic change? The answer could come as early as Sunday.