When it rains, it pours. If not, just ask Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa, whose 2025 NFL season with the Miami Dolphins gets worse every week. On Sunday, they suffered yet another embarrassing loss — this time to the Cleveland Browns, prompting serious questions about the team’s future. Many are wondering whether Quinn Ewers, who was named the backup QB over Zach Wilson for this game and replaced Tagovailoa in the final minutes, could take over as starter.
McDaniel didn’t suggest whether he’s considering such a drastic change for Week 8, but did let every Dolphins player know that no one’s job is safe: “You have to evaluate everything. If you are negatively impacting the team routinely, I have no choice but to assess a different player — and I have to coach a lot better, as well.”
Additionally, the Dolphins head coach made it clear that the offense could start running things differently after a dismal 1-6 start to the 2025 NFL season: “We’ll change our style of play if we have to.”
McDaniel hasn’t made a final decision on Dolphins’ QB depth chart
McDaniel’s decision to name Ewers as backup raised eyebrows on Sunday, but the Dolphins head coach clarified during his postgame press conference that this was a specific move for the Browns game.
Mike McDaniel during the Dolphins’ loss in Cleveland.
“All variables combined, I thought he (Ewers) gave us the best chance to win. I didn’t make the move with that (moving forward) in mind, I talked to Zach and Quinn that it was specific for this week,” McDaniel said.
see also
Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t blame just himself for Dolphins’ ugly loss to Browns
This leaves the Dolphins’ QB depth chart situation up in the air. Tagovailoa has played, to put it lightly, poorly in 2025 and the Browns game was probably his worst version in an already terrible year for the Alabama product.
In Week 7, Tagovailoa went 12 of 23 for 100 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. With the Browns’ 31-6 win all but sealed, McDaniel benched Tua to give some playing time to Ewers, who completed five of eight passes for 53 yards but had a fumble in one of his first snaps.
Even though Ewers looked far from ready for NFL football and Wilson left a lot to be desired during his time in the league, Tagovailoa’s concerning struggles might force the Dolphins to consider a change.
McDaniel wants accountability and union from Dolphins
McDaniel said he wanted to watch the tape before jumping into any conclusions, and he’s been completely supportive of Tagovailoa even during the quarterback’s worst times. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and benching Tua doesn’t sound unreasonable given his disappointing campaign.
see also
Tua Tagovailoa faces harsh criticism after disappointing Dolphins loss to Browns: Memes and reactions
“Everything is on the table before a game. … Guys need to be professionals. Every person on our team. If you’re saying ‘it’s not me,’ then it’s you,” McDaniel said, as he insisted that the Dolphins need accountability during this rough situation.
The Dolphins will return to action on Sunday, October 26, when they pay a visit to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8. We’ll have to wait and see whether Miami heads into that game unchanged. Not only at quarterback, but also in other areas of the team, as McDaniel’s job might also be at risk in the wake of such a poor start.
