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The writing may be a little smudged, but it's on the wall. Tua Tagovailoa his time with the Miami Dolphins could be coming to an end after he remains benched until the end of the 2025 season.
Head coach Mike McDaniel announced that Quinn Evers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, will be the team's starter for the remaining three games on the schedule, while Tagovailoa will move to the third string and Zach Wilson, his season-long backup, will remain at his job.
Tagovailoa spoke about the demotion following the team's Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which could very well be his last of his career. Dolphins uniform.
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Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins leaves the field after missing a two-point conversion attempt in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh on December 15, 2025. (Justin Berle/AP Photo)
“Naturally, I would say I’m disappointed,” Tagovailoa said. “This is a normal human emotion. Beyond that, I have to do my part. My role here now is to help whoever the quarterback is on this team, to lead this team, to help him in any way I can to help the team win this game on Sunday.”
Tagovailoa has had a tough time in his sixth season with the Dolphins. He heads NFL with 15 interceptions, throwing for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 games. The Dolphins went 6-8 in his starts this year.
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Tagovailoa threw for 253 yards with two touchdowns in a 28-15 loss to Pittsburgh, but he had just 65 passing yards with an interception heading into a fourth quarter in which Pittsburgh appeared to let off the gas on defense.
McDaniel noted after the game that his quarterback's play “wasn't good enough.”
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins plays before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acresure Stadium on December 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
“I’m disappointed and unhappy with it,” Tagovailoa said of his performance. “But I would say that something that is out of my control is the most important thing, and it's also being honest with myself. … I didn’t perform at the level and opportunities that I had in the past.”
Just two years ago, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) with 29 touchdowns during an 11-6 season for Miami. This led to the franchise giving him a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million with $167 million guaranteed.
But more concussion issues emerged in 2024, even though Tagovailoa led the league in completion percentage (72.9) in his 11 games. During that time, the Dolphins went 6–5 but failed to make the playoffs.
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins looks to throw a pass in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acresure Stadium on December 15, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
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If the Dolphins were to release Tagovailoa and start from scratch at quarterback this offseason, it would cost them $99.2 million in dead cap, although they could break him down in two years.
Evers' first NFL start will be Sunday against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Miami Gardens.
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