According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have signed former North Dakota State QB Cam Miller to their 53-man roster. Effectively, this could mean the end of Tua Tagovailoa as a Dolphin, since he wouldn’t even be considered as a backup now.

It’s been long talked that the Dolphins are facing an imminent rebuild, and that includes the quarterback position. Also, head coach Mike McDonald is seemingly staying, but he has other potential suitors as well if the Dolphins opt to fire him.

Who is Cam Miller?

Miller was on the Raiders practice squad prior to this move. He broke all kinds of records at ND State. Miller also guided his program to a 2025 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game win, where he was declared the most outstanding player.

Miller’s strengths are his accuracy, decision-making, command presence, and high football IQ. His weaknesses are his lack of physical prowess, below-average arm strength and modest size. However, Tom Brady has endorsed him, saying he likes Miller’s potential and style.

Is Quinn Ewers earning more than just ending the season?

If Tua eventually leaves, the Dolphins have to solve one key aspect on their roster. Is Quinn Ewers the guy for the future, or do they need somebody else? Ewers has a 1-1 record, completing 65% of his passes for 485 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

He has played against bad defenses like the Bengals and the Buccaneers. Hence, he has shown glimpses of good talent. However, that also raises doubts over his interceptions and how he would fare against top-tier defenses.

“Mike McDaniel said Quinn Ewers has “earned the opportunity to continue to develop”: “I was happy how he handled the position — that’s not easy. That’s what’s frustrating, is it’d be a lot easier if (the loss) was on the rookie quarterback, but I don’t think it was,” Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote regarding McDaniel’s comments.

Against the Bengals, Quinn Ewers put up a “good-not-great” stat line, throwing for 260 yards. However, he was plagued by two interceptions. Despite the turnovers, McDaniel was quick to shield his rookie after the game and that’s a good signal.

Is the Tua Tagovailoa era officially over?

While Tua’s status for next season remains up in the air, a recent report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests the writing is on the wall. According to the NFL insider, “the most likely scenario will be that he would be released.” Schefter added that the franchise’s direction hinges on a front-office shakeup: “The Dolphins are currently looking for a new general manager, and whoever they hire will decide what happens with Tua.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean the keys to the kingdom belong to Ewers just yet. With the regular season winding down and roster evaluations looming, his hold on the starting job is far from guaranteed. The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson floated the idea of Ewers as a long-term solution, noting that a “diamond in the rough” scenario is exactly what the city needs.

“Though many of the issues have been self-inflicted for 25 years, the Dolphins deserve a break,” Jackson wrote. “If Ewers can become another Purdy, in terms of 7th-round success stories, and run this Shanahan/McDaniel offense effectively, that would be a massive lift.”

And while this probably means the beginning of the end for Tagovailoa in Miami, benching Tua might give McDaniel a chance to stay in South Florida. Word around the NFL is that the Dolphins still believe in their head coach and will give him a second chance with a different starting quarterback.

“My understanding is McDaniel, barring some sort of surprise, is expected back next season,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on NFL GameDay. “This is someone who does have the support of owner Stephen Ross, remember he extended him, the two are close, the Dolphins organization does want McDaniel to succeed and believe that he could do it.“

Signs that McDaniel’s future with Dolphins is safe

McDaniel is under contract with the Dolphins through the 2028 NFL season. In August, Jeff Darlington of ESPN reported the team handed the head coach a three-year extension, which reflected the front office’s serious belief in him.

Not even a disastrous start to the 2025 season seemed to put McDaniel on the hot seat, with the ownership supporting him regardless of the disappointing results or the pressure from fans to make a change.

The Dolphins preferred to fire longtime general manager Chris Grier before making such a drastic decision on their head coach, and now they seem willing to part with Tagovailoa instead of firing McDaniel.

“It is the expectation that Tua has played his final down with the Miami Dolphins,” Rapoport said on the Alabama product, for whom the Dolphins used a fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Unlike McDaniel, Tagovailoa’s days in Miami might be over

McDaniel isn’t even keeping Tagovailoa as Ewers’ backup in 2025, he’s moving forward with Zach Wilson as his second quarterback on the depth chart, demoting the former first-rounder to the third-string QB spot.

The end of 2025 will let McDaniel see what Ewers can bring to the field after using a seventh-round pick to draft the Texas Longhorns product in April. That will probably allow him to carefully evaluate what to do at the quarterback position in the offseason, if the Dolphins do give the head coach another opportunity.

Miami could either bet on Ewers, chase a quarterback in free agency or use the 2026 NFL Draft for a new signal-caller. The trade option shouldn’t be off the table, though it would require a huge maneuver by the front office. What’s almost certain is that, unlike McDaniel, Tua’s days as a Dolphin are numbered.

But what lies behind this unusual decision by the coach to bench his star player and start the rookie QB? Physically, there’s no indication that Tua is missing the game due to injury, which suggests that the change is a result of a dip in his performance.

Tagovailoa has come under fire in recent weeks due to his on-field performance, particularly the number of turnovers he’s committed at crucial moments. Beyond that, his multimillion-dollar contract has led many to question whether he’s truly the quarterback the franchise needs to win a Super Bowl in the near future.

Tua’s numbers this season

Tua Tagovailoa has been officially benched for the remainder of the season after posting disappointing numbers, including 2,660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and a league-leading 15 interceptions, resulting in a poor 36.7 QBR.

Following the team’s elimination from playoff contention, head coach Mike McDaniel demoted Tua all the way to third-string, elevating rookie Quinn Ewers to starter and Zach Wilson to the primary backup role.

McDaniel cited the need for “convicted quarterback play” and a desire to evaluate the roster’s future, as Tua’s regression and high turnover rate made a change inevitable for the final stretch.

Tagovailoa’s contract situation

Despite his benching, Tua Tagovailoa’s future in Miami is a massive financial puzzle due to the $212 million extension he signed in 2024. With $54 million already fully guaranteed for 2026, cutting him would trigger a historic $99 million dead cap hit, effectively anchoring him to the roster for at least one more year.

However, his demotion to third-string suggests the team has already moved on mentally. As the offseason approaches, the Dolphins face a franchise-altering dilemma: will they swallow the unprecedented cost to cut ties, or is Tua destined to remain in Miami as the league’s most expensive backup?

Ewers is the chosen one

During his tenure with the Texas Longhorns, Quinn Ewers established himself as one of the program’s most productive quarterbacks, totaling 9,128 passing yards and 68 touchdowns over three seasons. His collegiate career was highlighted by leading Texas to the College Football Playoff and winning the Big 12 Championship in 2023.

Despite his high-profile college pedigree, Ewers experienced a “fall from grace” during the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Miami Dolphins eventually selected him in the seventh round with the 231st overall pick.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins confirmed that Tua Tagovailoa would be relegated to a QB3 role. The team also announced that rookie Quinn Ewers would take over as the starter. Despite speculation about potential tension between the two quarterbacks, the former Texas standout made it clear that his relationship with Tagovailoa remains strong.

“In Tua’s shoes, it’s tough,” Ewers said Thursday about Tagovailoa losing the QB1 job. “I was benched int he middle of a game last year so I know how he feels and it’s a bad feeling. He’s been really helpful in a tough situation, and I know a frustrating situation that he’s in.”

A new beginning for the Dolphins

The Dolphins not only confirmed that Tagovailoa would be benched, but also revealed he will sit third on the depth chart behind Quinn Ewers and Zach Wilson—a clear signal of the franchise’s future direction.

By moving Tagovailoa to the third-string role, Miami is effectively indicating that his time with the organization is nearing its end. He is unlikely to see the field again this season and is widely expected to be traded during the upcoming offseason.

Ewers enjoyed a solid collegiate career at Texas, and the final three games of the season will serve as a crucial audition. If the rookie can deliver strong performances, the Dolphins may consider sticking with him as their starter—but he will need to impress to secure that role long-term.

At this stage, the most likely scenario is that Miami trades Tagovailoa and targets a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That looming possibility could push Ewers to elevate his play and convince the organization that the offense is in capable hands.

The Dolphins may need to trade up

With three games remaining in the 2025 NFL season, the Dolphins currently hold the 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft. Unfortunately, that position may not be high enough to land a top-tier quarterback prospect.

Several teams ahead of Miami are expected to be in the quarterback market, making competition fierce. While the Dolphins could move up a few spots depending on late-season results, trading up may be their only realistic option to secure the signal-caller they believe can lead the franchise forward.

The South Florida franchise’s depth chart now lists the experienced Zach Wilson as the primary backup, while Tua will move into the third spot. “It’s the best for all parties involving,” McDaniel said, via Barry Jackson.

The decision to bench Tagovailoa was not an easy one. The former Alabama player signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in 2024, with $167.1 million guaranteed. However, his recent performances forced the head coach to make a course correction to steer the season back on track.

The news about McDaniel’s decision not only sparks a debate about how long Tagovailoa was kept in his position throughout the season despite his performance, but also casts doubts on what will happen with him in the future.

A tough season for Tua

Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have endured a disappointing 2025 campaign, as the quarterback’s performance has significantly regressed compared to previous years. ‘

Throughout the season, Tagovailoa managed to record 2,660 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, but his impact was severely undermined by a career-high 15 interceptions. This lack of consistency is further reflected in a lackluster 36.7 QBR, placing him among the lower-ranked starters in the league.

Ultimately, these efficiency issues contributed to a struggling offense that saw Miami officially eliminated from playoff contention after failing to find a rhythm in the final stretch of the year.

“For now, until competition proves otherwise, the best thing for our football team, in relief duty for a game, or injury, is for Zach [Wilson] to come in and be No. 2,” McDaniel said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

However, Ewers shouldn’t lose hope on potentially making his way back to the QB2 spot, as McDaniel said his decision is subject to change depending on performance: “That could change over time. I’m not looking to change that until they show me it needs to be changed.”

Selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Texas, Ewers has worked behind Tagovailoa and Wilson since preseason, but a sudden change in Week 7 suggested he could be up for a bigger role after all.

Ewers’ backup role behind Tua was short-lived

McDaniel named Ewers backup for the Cleveland Browns game, demoting Wilson to the QB3 spot, and the rookie ended up finishing the game instead of Tagovailoa, who threw three interceptions in an embarrassing 31-6 loss.

Even though it was a small sample size, Ewers’ few snaps in Cleveland weren’t convincing either. He went 5 of 8 for 53 yards in a game that already was out of reach for Miami, and McDaniel clarified in his postgame press conference that naming Ewers backup was a decision made specifically for the Browns game.

Far from benching Tagovailoa, McDaniel decided not to remove his starting quarterback but did change the pecking order behind him again. Wilson returned to the backup QB role in Week 8, when Tua and the Dolphins showed their best version of the year for a blowout 34-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

With Tagovailoa completing 20 of 26 passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, McDaniel may have seen exactly what he needed from his starting QB. And it appears that Wilson has also made an impression in practice to be the next in line.

Wilson has Dolphins’ confidence despite past struggles

After a 2024 season where having Skylar Thompson (initially) as backup proved costly, Miami decided to try its luck with Wilson this offseason. Even if the BYU product has so far left a lot to be desired in the NFL, the Dolphins seemingly believe he can still be a dependable alternative to Tagovailoa.

Drafted second overall by the New York Jets in 2021, Wilson has yet to prove the Jets were right in making such a decision. New York gave up on him long ago, but McDaniel still sees potential in him. Not as a starter, but at least as the first option in case Tua has to sit out. Needless to say, that’s better than being the third-string QB or not even having an active roster spot at all.

While the continued support for Tagovailoa limits his two fellow quarterbacks to minimal playing time in the short term, the battle for the backup job remains wide open. McDaniel expects his entire QB room to stay fully prepared so that, if called upon, they can compete at a high level without missing a beat.

“I’m looking to avoid a back and forth and would like to solidify that. But I think competition raises everyone … They will compete and hopefully it will remain, but I’m not opposed to doing anything that’ll help us beat an opponent,” McDaniel said Wednesday, as quoted by Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.

Given the delicate situation Miami is currently going through in the league, none of the team’s quarterbacks have any guarantees of holding onto their spot for long. Each of them will need to give their best to meet the expectations of head coach Mike McDaniel.

Tua retains the trust

Despite the recent skid and public drama, the Miami Dolphins organization and Mike McDaniel are banking on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to right the ship and lead the team back into contention. The franchise’s investment in Tua remains firm, trusting that his proven accuracy and command of the offense are the keys to overcoming the current adversity.

For the Dolphins to make a legitimate run this season, they need their former first-round pick to silence the critics and deliver a high-level, consistent performance starting immediately.

In search of a Playoff miracle

With a dismal 1-6 start through the first seven weeks of the season, the Miami Dolphins now find themselves needing nothing short of a miracle to sneak into the AFC Wild Card picture. The math is brutal, and after securing just one victory so far, the margin for error has vanished.

To have any realistic hope, Miami must embark on an improbable, near-perfect run through the remainder of its schedule, requiring both exceptional play and significant help from other teams. The season has officially reached ‘do-or-die’ territory for the South Beach franchise.

McDaniel confirmed his decision during his Monday press conference, only a day after Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in the Dolphins’ embarrassing 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 7.

Questions about Tagovailoa’s job security emerged throughout the season as the Dolphins got off to a terrible start, but his seat looked hotter than ever after the disappointing outing in Cleveland.

The fact that McDaniel named Ewers as the backup QB for the Browns game and ended up benching Tua to let the rookie play the final snaps fueled speculation about a potential QB change, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

McDaniel not benching Tagovailoa despite ugly situation

Tagovailoa will once again be under center when the Dolphins play the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, October 26, in Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season, hoping to get back to winning ways after three consecutive losses.

The Alabama Crimson Tide product, for whom the Dolphins used a fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has thrown for 1,313 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this year, which gives him a 42.9 QBR according to ESPN.

The fact that McDaniels isn’t benching Tagovailoa may have to do with the financial commitment Miami made to the quarterback in 2024, when it handed the former first-rounder a lucrative, four-year contract worth $212.4 million to keep him in South Florida through 2028.

Where is the 2023 version of Tagovailoa?

Tagovailoa received that extension after a promising 2023 season, where had a passer rating of 101.1 after throwing for 4,624 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 17 regular season games. The Dolphins finished with an 11-6 record that year before losing to eventual Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card.

However, that version of Tua disappeared after the deal. An early concussion forced him to miss time in 2024 before another injury prevented him from finishing the season, which saw the Dolphins miss the playoffs with an 8-9 record.

In 2025, the Dolphins brought in new backups for Tagovailoa, signing a former second-overall pick in Wilson before drafting Ewers out of Texas with a seventh-round selection.

Ewers, Wilson still competing for QB2 job

While Wilson has so far left a lot to be desired when given the chance to play in the NFL, Ewers is still making his first steps in the league but lacks significant action. Even though Ewers moved up one spot in the depth chart on Sunday, McDaniel said postgame that decision was specific for the Browns game.

On Monday, the Dolphins head coach left the battle for the QB2 spot wide open. However, he made it clear that he expects to make a final decision about that position soon, as he wants to avoid making it a “week to week thing.“

Nothing changes

In the meantime, Tagovailoa will continue to lead the struggling Dolphins’ offense. And with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly not planning to fire McDaniel anytime soon, things remain practically unchanged in Miami regardless of the team’s disastrous record. Stranger things have happened, but in the NFL, this is still surprising.

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

The Fins’ poor results put both the head coach and quarterback in the eye of the storm, with many questioning whether they’re really capable of bringing back glory days to South Florida.

With pressure mounting, McDaniel made an eyebrow-raising decision that may put Tagovailoa’s future as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback into question. The head coach took many by surprise with a depth chart change before the Week 7 game against the Cleveland Browns, naming Quinn Ewers as the backup QB over Zach Wilson.

While this doesn’t change Tagovailoa’s current status as QB1, it does create questions about his job security in the long term. Six years into the NFL, the Alabama product has yet to live up to the expectations that come with being a first-round draft pick who’s getting paid handsomely by the way.

Tua Tagovailoa has yet to prove his doubters wrong

In 2024, the Dolphins made a bold decision by handing Tua a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension to keep him in Miami through 2028. The front office made that commitment after a promising season which ended in a Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the move was partially understandable since Tua delivered encouraging performances before entering the final year of his rookie deal, that extension hasn’t aged well. The concussions and injuries suffered in 2024 may have kept Tagovailoa off the hook, but there are no excuses for his underwhelming performance in 2025.

With the Dolphins failing to achieve any progress in the Tagovailoa era, it’s fair to start questioning his future as their starting quarterback. Moving Ewers up one spot in the depth chart may be just a sign that bigger changes could be on the horizon.

Dolphins reportedly feel Quinn Ewers is ready

Selected 231st overall in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Texas Longhorns product didn’t arrive in Miami with too much expectations around him. But like any rookie, we’re talking about a quarterback with upside.

He’s still new in the NFL and may not provide an immediate answer to the Dolphins’ offensive struggles, but when things aren’t going to plan, changes are needed. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins believe in Ewers‘ potential.

“Got some feedback on Ewers being no. 2 decision… Has looked very good as scout team QB… Dolphins love his arm and how hard he’s worked. They feel he’s nowready to play in game if needed,” wrote Jackson on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Wilson, selected second overall by the New York Jets in 2021, has struggled to prove why he was such a high draft pick since entering the NFL. And the Dolphins’ recent decision to promote Ewers suggests they don’t see the former BYU QB as the best alternative to Tagovailoa either.

Only time will tell us whether Ewers’ promotion to QB2 actually leads to more changes in the Dolphins’ QB depth chart. But with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly backing McDaniel’s job, the head coach may have all the power he needs to make drastic decisions if needed.