Mike McDaniel recently announced that the Miami Dolphins will bench Tua Tagovailoa in favor of rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers. The decision came just days after they were officially eliminated from the playoff race. A former Super Bowl champion recently criticized the head coach for how he handled the situation.
Mike McDaniel Criticized After Benching Tua Tagovailoa in Week 16
The Dolphins are having a frustrating 2025 NFL season, but they had been gaining momentum in recent weeks. They played their way back into the playoff race but were officially eliminated last week after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.
Just days later, McDaniel announced the Dolphins’ decision to bench Tagovailoa and allow their rookie seventh-round pick, Ewers, to be a starter for the first time in his young career. Former Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi criticized the way the head coach handled the situation, while also questioning his future in Miami.
“This has been a lot of speed, it’s been a lot of substance, but it’s always gone downhill. I look at Mike McDaniel, and I see that the partnership with Tua is almost perfect. Are they a package deal? Can he do it with anyone else? I don’t understand the benching of Tua, although that’s a lot of dead money to have on your cap for next season … Mike McDaniel, we’ll see if he’s still there next year,” stated Bruschi.
“This has been a lot of speed, a lot of substance, but it’s always gone downhill.” 👀
Tedy Bruschi reacts to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa getting benched 🏈 pic.twitter.com/5J90S673gT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 21, 2025
Tagovailoa has severely struggled this year, currently ranking 25th among all quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season. His inconsistent performances and overall failures at the position are one of the reasons why the Dolphins were unable to get back to the playoffs.
Bruschi referenced the veteran quarterback’s complicated contract situation when speculating what the franchise may do with him during the offseason. He carries a dead cap hit of $99.2 million if they were to release him, while keeping him would essentially make him one of the most expensive back-ups in the entire NFL.
This is basically why the former New England Patriots linebacker explained that he doesn’t really understand the logic behind benching him. From the Dolphins’ perspective, it makes sense to give their rookie a chance to gain valuable in-game experience while also getting the opportunity to prove his own outlook. He could theoretically be a long-term solution for them, whether that be with McDaniel or someone else as their head coach.
