Mike McDaniel has somehow managed to keep his job despite a 2-7 start, but the Miami Dolphins have made significant changes after their latest loss. With longtime general manager Chris Grier no longer in the front office, the Fins traded Jaelan Phillips before the deadline, and many are wondering for how long Tua Tagovailoa will continue to be the team’s starting quarterback.
A few days after yet another embarrassing loss, this time at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in prime time, McDaniel addressed the big decisions made in South Florida over the last few hours.
“Chris is a guy I’ve worked with every day since I’ve been here. I’m a human being … That’s an emotional toll when you realize things are going to be different,” McDaniel said in regard to Grier’s departure, with Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN adding that the head coach acknowledged his feelings are “irrelevant” to him doing his job and preparing the team for Buffalo.
Mike McDaniel laments Jaelan Phillips trade to Eagles
McDaniel also shared his thoughts on the trade that sent Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday: “That part of the business, I absolutely despise in terms of having to say goodbye to a player.
Jaelan Phillips before a game with the Dolphins.
“It was a very healthy conversation and it was understood that sometimes the best interests of a team long term doesn’t overlap with the interests in one game for one player,” said McDaniel, who added that these situations can be avoided by “hitting on all cylinders” and winning football games.
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Parting ways with Grier and moving on from Phillips have been strong decisions made by the Dolphins immediately after realizing their 2025 NFL season is beyond repair, with their sights now set in 2026 and beyond.
McDaniel not thinking about Tua’s future beyond Week 11
In this situation, Tagovailoa’s future as QB1 now looks up in the air. The Alabama product, selected fifth overall by Miami in 2020, has left a lot to be desired since his 2024 lucrative extension — with his performance hitting rock bottom this year.
McDaniel, however, made it clear that he’s not thinking beyond the upcoming Week 11 game against division rivals Buffalo Bills, and that Tagovailoa gives Miami “the best chance to win.“
“I am far from even going that direction of would have, could have, possible things,” McDaniel said. “When [a player] doesn’t give you the best chance to win, you adjust. We play the players who give us best chance to win. If that changes, we adjust there…. As a franchise quarterback, we’ve shown our belief in him by putting… resources toward him. All things in football are on the table… For conjectures for a headline, I don’t see how that helps the Miami Dolphins.”
Tagovailoa’s future in Miami under the microscope
Tagovailoa’s future is a situation to watch in Miami, as the quarterback has a 43.3 QBR in 2025 after throwing for 1,779 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.
His contract appears to be a huge stumbling block in a potential breakup though, as the Dolphins handed him a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension following a promising 2023 campaign. This deal guarantees him $54 million next year, complicating a potential release or trade.
Dolphins players who could be out of Miami soon
For now, McDaniel isn’t planning to bench Tagovailoa. And in the event Miami decides to move on from him, it may not happen anytime soon. However, the organization might be preparing for imminent changes in other areas of the field.
With the trade deadline set for Tuesday, November 4, at 4 PM (ET), multiple Dolphins players have been mentioned as potential trade candidates: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Bradley Chubb, and even star wide receiver Jayden Waddle.
