The Miami Dolphins finished their season with a 38-10 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 18. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was on the sidelines for that game as he had been demoted to the team’s third-string emergency quarterback. Tagovailoa was benched following the team’s Week 15 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, which officially eliminated them from playoff contention.
The day before his benching, former head coach Mike McDaniel had said, “The quarterback play was not good enough.” Rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers started the final three games for the Dolphins as the team went 1-3.
Darren Waller Shares Theory on Tua Tagovailoa Struggles
Ultimately, Tua Tagovailoa’s play indicates that McDaniel was not wrong. He didn’t play up to his previous Pro Bowl standard. Tagovailoa had his lowest passer rating and QBR since taking over as the team’s full-time starter in 2021. He also led the league with 15 interceptions and had the highest interception percentage of his career. Additionally, he ran for the fewest yards in his career this season.
Darren Waller went on the Glory Daze Podcast with Johnny Manziel and spoke about his experience with the Dolphins. When Waller was asked about the experience of playing with Tua, he said, “I’m watching [Tua] throw darts every practice. It was just like, what the [explicit] am I watching. I never seen the anticipation and the accuracy… the skillset is definitely still there.” However, in regards to Tagovailoa’s struggles this season, Waller offered a possible reason as to why that happened, saying “I think where the disconnect comes from, it could be the trauma still stored in his body with what he’s gone through with his head injuries.”
Due to Waller’s injuries and Tagovailoa’s late-season benching, the pair only managed to play seven games together. In those seven games, Waller caught six touchdowns. He did not catch a touchdown in two games with Quinn Ewers as his quarterback.
Waller is set to be a free agent following the season, but he has not announced whether he wants to continue playing. He told the Miami media following the season, “He’ll take the next few weeks to decide whether he wants to continue playing.” He added that if he were to continue playing, he would want to do so in Miami, but that was before the team hired a new general manager and fired head coach Mike McDaniel.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Future With the Miami Dolphins
Despite being under contract with the Miami Dolphins until the 2028 season, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that he would likely not be on the team in 2026. However, that report came prior to McDaniel’s firing and Jon-Eric Sullivan’s hiring. Moving him would cost the Dolphins $99 million in dead money as Tagovailoa has $54 million guaranteed in the 2026 season.
It remains to be seen whether he can return to the level of play that earned him a Pro Bowl selection in the 2023 season when he led the league in passing yards. Perhaps Waller’s theory is correct and the body trauma has reached a point that his play is in decline. Both Manziel and Waller agreed that Tagovailoa’s skillset was still evident and capable of coming back.
Dolphins Pro Bowl Player Sends Clear Message to Tua Tagovailoa