The Miami Dolphins are making a quarterback change. It’s already clear who will take over.

“We have to put everything on the table.”

A telling statement from Mike McDaniel. After four consecutive wins, the Miami Dolphins head coach suffered a 15-28 defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This eliminates them from the NFL playoff race. A shake-up in all positions—even his own—is on the cards. But first, he made a decision himself and benched Tua Tagovailoa. That’s according to Adam Schefter. Quinn Ewers will start in place of Tua.

A major move in Miami: the Dolphins are benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and turning to Quinn Ewers as their new starting QB, per sources.

Ewers’ first start comes Sunday vs. the Bengals. pic.twitter.com/lzs2J1EfjP

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2025

McDaniel had previously left open whether he would actually drop Tagovailoa as the starter. On Wednesday, the decision against the quarterback was made. There are reasons for this, which McDaniel had previously discussed.

“The quarterback play wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said after the latest defeat.

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa on the way out

The 42-year-old explained his reasoning: “My biggest job is to decide what’s best for the team. Even if it’s sometimes a tough decision. But it’s always in the best possible interest to have the best possible chance of winning against the next opponent.”

15 interceptions in 14 games. Tagovailoa leads the league with the most interceptions.

Against the Steelers, he completed 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. A flattering statistic, as much of it was achieved in so-called “garbage time.” That is, at a point when the game was virtually decided and the opposing defense was playing to avoid being beaten deep with just a few plays.

So who will take over now? According to Schefter, rookie Ewers is set to take over on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. That means current backup Zach Wilson will not get his chance.

Tagovailoa’s dismissal seems unlikely due to salary cap restrictions. As NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports, the Dolphins would swallow a record $99.2 million in dead money if Tagovailoa were to be released in the upcoming offseason. Nevertheless, the former hope of Florida seems to have no future there.