Over the past four seasons, the Miami Dolphins were primarily led by a group of three men: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill.
With those three at the helm, the Dolphins made back-to-back postseason appearances in 2022 and 2023, while bolstering one of the NFL’s best offenses. Unfortunately, that success quickly fizzled out in the playoffs and the following two seasons. As a result, none of them are currently members of the Miami Dolphins; however, they also don’t appear to be thriving elsewhere.
Tyreek Hill remains an unsigned free agent, Tua Tagovailoa is the backup quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons and Mike McDaniel is having to answer questions about his job security four games into his tenure as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator.
As a result, one NFL analyst is suggesting that McDaniel and Tagovailoa reunite with the Chargers, hoping to perhaps have that same success that they had in 2022 and 2023.
Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Pushed to Reunite With Tua Tagovailoa
After the Los Angeles Chargers lost their fourth consecutive game to start the 2026 season, The Ringer’s Craig Horlbeck suggested that the Chargers perhaps have a reunion between two former Miami Dolphins members.
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Horlbeck said, “I think the Chargers should trade for Tua. Let’s bring the guy in who can actually make this [expletive] work, who can actually cook the meal with the ingredients. We’ve seen it. We should bring him back. The backup for the Chargers is Trey Lance, I can’t think of a worse quarterback for this system than Trey Lance. Bring Tua in.”
While a reunion between the two men appears unlikely, especially after McDaniel benched Tagovailoa during the 2025 season and Tagovailoa criticized McDaniel after signing with the Falcons, the former Dolphins quarterback does remain a trade candidate.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed Tagovailoa as the Atlanta Falcons’ most tradeable asset, as he wrote: “If the Falcons believe that Penix is ready to be “the guy” and can put them back in the playoff hunt, then Tagovailoa might be the most expendable player on the roster who actually has any trade value—Cooper Rush, who started and performed poorly in Weeks 1 and 2, probably does not.”
Perhaps he would provide some value in a system that he’s familiar with.
Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel’s History
As Horlbeck referenced, Tagovailoa does have a history of success in McDaniel’s system. During Tagovailoa’s first season with Mike McDaniel, the quarterback led the NFL in passer rating and finished top 10 in MVP voting despite playing in only 13 games. Meanwhile, in 2023 Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,623 passing yards. Miami posted a 19-11 record with Tagovailoa as the team’s starter during those two seasons.
Current Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert appears to be struggling in McDaniel’s system. In Los Angeles’ first four games, Herbert has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns and currently has a lower QBR than Tagovailoa did during the 2025 season when McDaniel benched him.
Herbert and Tagovailoa have been linked throughout their NFL careers as Miami selected Tagovailoa one spot ahead of Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Ex-Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Pushed to Trade for Tua Tagovailoa