Tua Tagovailoa lost his starting job after a tough outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn’t need long to break his silence after losing his starting job to rookie Quinn Ewers.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins announced that Tua Tagovailoa had been benched in favor of Ewers. The move came after a disappointing outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Tagovailoa threw for 253 yards, two garbage-time touchdowns and one interception in a 28-15 loss.

Miami dropped to 6-8 on the season and was officially eliminated from playoff contention. With little more to play for this year, head coach Mike McDaniel wants to see what the rookie out of Texas can do.

Speaking to reporters after his benching, Tua Tagovailoa admitted his disappointment with the coach’s decision:

“I’m disappointed. It’s normal human emotion….I gotta do my part. My role here right now is to help whoever the quarterback is gonna be for this team…Disappointed, I’m not happy about it….something out of my control.”


Tagovailoa and the offense were dealt one massive blow when top receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a gruesome season-ending knee injury in Week 4. No. 2 receiver Jaylen Waddle still hasn’t come close to replicating the career year of 2022, where he finished with 1,356 yards.

The Dolphins host the 4-10 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Sends Three-Word Message to Miami ...

Tua Tagovailoa’s Future In Miami Is Now A Giant Question Mark

Tua Tagovailoa Makes Comments That Could Concern Dolphins FansTua Tagovailoa (Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
Tagovailoa just signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension in 2024. His deal makes him practically impossible to trade or cut in 2026. Of course, that doesn’t mean Miami has to keep playing him.

The Atlanta Falcons didn’t mind keeping $180 million man Kirk Cousins on the bench this season. That changed when he stepped in to replace the injured Michael Penix Jr. The 2026 NFL Draft features many prized QB prospects, so Miami can select someone they like to replace Tua.

Tagovailoa has already thrown a career-high 15 interceptions (most in the NFL this year). His 88.5 passer rating is Tagovailoa’s lowest since his 2020 rookie year, per Pro Football Reference.