Anyone who watched the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football got the sense that Mike McDaniel may be a dead man walking with his future in Miami. The team was in a pivotal game for their Playoff hopes, and when the Dolphins fell behind in the 4th quarter rather than trying to preserve clock and try to win the game, McDaniel practically accepted losing.
McDaniel's time management was so questionable that fans along with Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michaels were questioning his every decision. Part of the reason that McDaniel approached the game the way he did is the fact that he clearly doesn't trust Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins went on a 4 game winning streak as McDaniel limited his passing attempts.
Mike McDaniel is turning to Quinn Ewers to save his job
After the Miami Dolphins were eliminated from Playoff contention on Monday Night, the heat around Mike McDaniel is being turned up as anything could happen this offseason. After Tagovailoa struggled against the Steelers, McDaniel is pulling the plug and starting Texas rookie Quinn Ewers.
Dolphins to start rookie QB Quinn Ewers vs. Bengals. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/mb9GE5EzBV
— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2025
It's clear that the relationship between Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel had soured as the head coach lost all trust in his quarterback. With Tagovailoa massive cap hit, proving that he can win with a cheaper quarterback in Quinn Ewers would be the best path for Mike McDaniel to prove he should return next season.
If the Dolphins truly believe in Quinn Ewers, thrusting him into action this way isn't the best for his development. Ewers has attempted just 8 passes this season in mop up duty meaning this is the most we'll see him play this season. Making Ewers the starter on a short week does the rookie no favors as he'll get limited experience with the starters.
The writing for Mike McDaniel should've been on the wall with Tua Tagovailoa when he had to reduce his passing attempts. If McDaniel wanted to approach this in the right way rather than trying to save his job, we would've seen Ewers playing for the team for certain series' to help him get acclimated to the NFL.