Mike McDaniel signals potential major shakeup as Tua Tagovailoa falters, Dolphins fall out of playoff race

The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes officially ended with Monday night’s nonaccomplishment to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Dolphins yet failed to flooded an 0–3 commencement to the regular season, and present much than a quarter-century volition person passed since the franchise past celebrated a postseason victory. Shortly aft the 28–15 nonaccomplishment to the Steelers, Dolphins caput manager Mike McDaniel hinted astatine the anticipation that a large backmost alteration could beryllium connected the horizon.

While McDaniel initially cautioned that helium hoped to debar making a "shortsighted" backmost determination erstwhile asked if helium would see benching Tua Tagovailoa, helium aboriginal admitted "everything's connected the table," amid the quarterback's uneven season.

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Miami Dolphins caput manager Mike McDaniel and backmost Tua Tagovailoa (1) basal connected the sideline against the New England Patriots during the 2nd 4th astatine Hard Rock Stadium connected Sept. 14, 2025 successful Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

Tagovailoa finished Monday's crippled with 253 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. While the 2023 NFL passing yards leader's last numbers looked sufficient, Tagovailoa had conscionable 65 yards and threw an interception done the game's archetypal 3 quarters.  He's already thrown a career-high 15 interceptions this season.

Tagovailoa's brace of touchdown throws didn't get connected the committee until the game's last quarter.

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McDaniel pointed to Tagovailoa's dilatory start. "I deliberation the backmost play past nighttime was not bully enough, and truthful for me, everything's connected the table," helium said.

McDaniel besides acknowledged the deficiency of accumulation successful Miami's passing onslaught implicit the past fewer weeks. The embattled fourth-year caput manager said the Dolphins' passing discourtesy "hurt" the squad successful Monday's defeat.

Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks to caput manager Mike McDaniel during grooming campy astatine Baptist Health Training Complex connected July 28, 2024, successful Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)

Tagovailoa shouldered blame, saying helium needed to execute astatine a higher level.

"For one, I got to play better. I got to beryllium amended for our guys offensively," helium said Monday. "Two, I'm beauteous disappointed with however acceptable I got our receivers, successful presumption of operation, successful presumption of guys knowing wherever to enactment up, and connection erstwhile it comes to personnel."

"That's thing I harp to guys erstwhile we're successful our ain player-led meetings," helium continued, "and I felt similar I fto our guys down successful that aspect."

Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks to walk during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Atlanta Falcons connected Oct. 26, 2025, successful Atlanta. (Mike Stewart/AP Photo)

While a determination astir Tagovailoa's short-term aboriginal could travel from McDaniel arsenic soon arsenic Wednesday, the franchise is financially tied to the seasoned signal-caller for the agelong term. Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.1 cardinal declaration hold successful 2024.

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Zach Wilson, the No. 2 prime successful the 2021 NFL Draft, and rookie Quinn Ewers are the 2 quarterbacks listed down Tagovailoa connected the Dolphins' extent chart.

The Dolphins fell to 6–8 connected Monday. The Cincinnati Bengals volition question to South Florida aboriginal this week for a Week 16 matchup with the Dolphins.

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