Monday night brought yet another defeat for the struggling Miami Dolphins, which could open the door for Quinn Ewers to make his first NFL career start. On Monday Night Football, the Dolphins lost to Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-15.
At a press conference after the game, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel expressed his disappointment with Tua Tagovailoa’s performance at the quarterback position on the night.
“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything’s on the table,” he said.
HC McDaniel on whether Dolphins could make QB change:
“QB play last night was not good enough so everything is on the table.”
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) December 16, 2025
While Tagovailoa had a good 253 yards (a bit more than Rodgers), two touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 78.5%, he also threw a costly interception, which once again made him look like an unreliable starter.
Tagovailoa has 2660 passing yards, with 20 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions this season. He’s the worst quarterback in the league when it comes to interceptions, and his QBR of 36.7 is 30th in the NFL.
This opens the door for former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers to start for Miami in Week 16. Ewers was a Texas starter for three seasons and led them to two College Football Playoff participations in 2023 and 2024. He received Second Team All-Big 12 and Second Team All-SEC honors in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Ewers was picked in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 231st pick.
Besides him, McDaniel could choose to start Zach Wilson, who also joined the team in 2025. Initially, the second overall pick of the NFL Draft in 2021 out of BYU, Wilson spent 2024 backing up Bo Nix at Denver after three forgettable seasons as the New York Jets starter.
Troy Aikman on Tua Tagovailoa’s Interception Against the Pittsburgh Steelers
It was former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman who put it best during the game’s transmission, saying the following about Tua Tagovailoa’s interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers:
“Tua’s been in the league long enough [to know not to make that throw]. It’s a little bit of a head scratcher. … Those types of throws where you’re not quite sure what he’s seeing or not seeing.”
The Hall of Famer’s comment gets to the heart of the problems the Dolphins have with Tua Tagovailoa. For all the promise he has shown in flashes, and despite an extended period in the NFL, Tagovailoa still seems unable to get the hang of some of the most basic concepts of football at the NFL level, a key among them being not turning over the ball.
Read More:
Is Christian Watson Playing This Week? What Fantasy Owners need to Know About Packers WR Status
Ladd McConkey’s Wife Sydney Sends 4-Word Message Amid Chargers’ Dominant Game Against Dolphins
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
