Dolphins to Bench QB Tua Tagovailoa for Rookie Quinn Ewers

Miami is sending its $200 million quarterback to the bench.

Quinn Ewers will make his first NFL start on Sunday. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Tua Tagovailoa’s time in Miami is seemingly ticking.

Following the Dolphins’ loss to the Steelers on Monday night—one that officially eliminated them from playoff contention—the team is benching Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Tua Time’s Up: The Dolphins are benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and will start rookie Quinn Ewers on Sunday, sources tell The Insiders.

Tagovailoa is due $54 million fully guaranteed in 2026. But his future in Miami is now clearly up in the air. pic.twitter.com/ZzO3gnlouS

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 17, 2025

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The move comes one day after Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at potentially making a change at signal-caller. “The quarterback play was not good enough,” he told reporters on Monday. “And so for me, everything is on the table.”

MORE: Lessons Learned from the Four Worst Quarterback Contracts in Recent NFL History

Despite owning Tagovailoa $54 million in 2026, Miami has now seemingly seen enough amid the former first-round pick's worst statistical season of his career. Over 14 games in 2025, Tagovailoa has completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and a career-high 15 interceptions while notching just an 88.5 passer rating—the lowest since his rookie year. With Miami’s loss to the Steelers on Monday, he’s also now an uninspiring 0–7 in games played in sub-40 degree weather.

"I'm pretty disappointed in myself with how I got our receiving corps ready," Tagovailoa said, candidly, following their Week 15 defeat. "I kind of felt like I let our guys down."

The Dolphins will now turn to Ewers, whom they selected in the seventh-round of the 2025 NFL draft, for the remainder of the campaign. They’re set take on the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Patriots to close out the season.

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