Who benched Tua Tagovailoa? NFL insider reveals who made Dolphins QB switch

The Miami Dolphins made a major move on Wednesday after Week 15, as the Dolphins have benched starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

It's a huge move for Miami to make, and while it comes when their playoff hopes have been ended, it's still a significant roster move for the Dolphins to make.

But who inside the facility decided to bench Tagovailoa? ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler revealed who made that decision. The sole person responsible for one of the most noteworthy quarterback decisions of the 2025 NFL season is the expected individual.

Who benched Tua Tagovailoa? Insider reveals insight into Dolphins QB switch

Fowler revealed that the decision to bench Tagovailao for Week 16 and likely beyond was "solely Mike McDaniel's."

This Dolphins decision, to bench Tua Tagovailoa and switch to rookie seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers, was the sole decision of Mike McDaniel, the head coach.

He had been in the hot seat this season, and while his four-game winning streak seemingly saved his job, the struggles of the Dolphins during their Monday Night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers were too much.

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McDaniel, after seeing the poor performance from Tagovailoa, which featured his NFL-leading 15th interception this season, decided to switch to a new quarterback.

McDaniel making this decision shows he's trying to save his job and also that he's all but given up on Tagovailoa. Benching a quarterback in the first year of a $212 million deal is a sign of a franchise giving up on a player.

Tagovailoa's future in Miami is now in major jeopardy, while McDaniel will hope that Ewers can perform better down the stretch for the Dolphins, potentially keeping his job, and potentially even finding the team's new starting quarterback.

More Dolphins News:

• Mike McDaniel gives bizarre answer for Dolphins' lack of late-game urgency vs. Steelers
• Dolphins can't keep handing Tua Tagovailoa the QB Job after Steelers loss
• Dolphins playoff picture: Updated chances for Miami to make 2025 NFL postseason after Week 15 loss to Steelers
• Dolphins gave up on their playoff chances with head-scratching 4th quarter vs. Steelers
• Steelers vs. Dolphins final score, results: Rodgers throws two touchdowns, Steelers bully Dolphins to stay atop AFC North