The Rise and Fall of Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa: What Went Wrong in Miami?

When the Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the expectations were sky-high. Tua was viewed as the savior of a franchise that had spent years searching for its next great quarterback. With a national championship under his belt at Alabama and the potential to be a franchise cornerstone, fans believed Tua was the answer to their prayers. But fast forward to December 2025, and the Dolphins are once again at a crossroads, with Tua’s future in Miami hanging by a thread.

Head coach Mike McDaniel, who was once Tua’s biggest supporter and defender, has now publicly questioned whether the young quarterback is the right man for the job. After the Dolphins’ crushing Monday Night Football loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers eliminated them from playoff contention, McDaniel didn’t rule out the possibility of benching Tua for the remainder of the season. This shocking turn of events has left fans wondering: how did we get here? How did a relationship that once seemed unbreakable fall apart so quickly?

To understand the collapse of the McDaniel-Tua partnership, we need to go back to the beginning and examine the journey that brought them to this point. It’s a story filled with highs and lows, a toxic coaching environment, a meteoric rise to MVP contention, and a $212 million contract that may have changed everything.

The Brian Flores Era: A Shattered Confidence

When the Dolphins selected Tua in 2020, it was supposed to be the start of a new era. The team had just completed a “tank for Tua” campaign, and fans were ecstatic about landing the quarterback who had led Alabama to a national championship under Nick Saban. But from the moment Tua arrived in Miami, his relationship with then-head coach Brian Flores was rocky at best.

Flores never fully committed to Tua as the team’s starter, instead opting to begin the 2020 season with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Even after Tua was named the starter, Flores benched him twice during his rookie season in favor of Fitzpatrick. The message was clear: Flores didn’t trust Tua to lead the team.

The situation only worsened in 2021 when the Dolphins spent the entire offseason aggressively pursuing a trade for Deshaun Watson. Despite the cloud of legal issues surrounding Watson at the time, Miami made it no secret that they were interested in replacing Tua. The lack of support from his own coach and front office took a toll on Tua’s confidence. In a candid interview in 2022, Tua revealed that he often questioned his own abilities during this period, saying, “If you woke up every morning and I told you, ‘You suck at what you do,’ you’d start to believe it.”

By the time Flores was fired at the end of the 2021 season, Tua was a broken quarterback. His confidence was shattered, and his future in Miami was uncertain. Enter Mike McDaniel.

Mike McDaniel’s Arrival: A New Beginning

When the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel in February 2022, one of his first priorities was rebuilding Tua’s confidence. McDaniel, a former offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, was known for his innovative offensive schemes and his ability to connect with players. From day one, McDaniel made it clear that he believed in Tua.

Their first interaction set the tone for their relationship. When McDaniel called Tua after getting the job, Tua was on a golf course. Instead of demanding that Tua meet him immediately, McDaniel encouraged him to enjoy his day and not worry about football. This small gesture had a profound impact on Tua, who later said it was the first time he felt comfortable being himself around a coach.

But McDaniel didn’t stop there. During the offseason, he compiled a 700-play highlight reel of Tua’s best moments as a passer and showed it to him. The purpose was simple: to remind Tua of his own potential and rebuild his shattered confidence. McDaniel’s belief in Tua was unwavering, and he designed an offense tailored to Tua’s strengths—quick throws, motion, and misdirection.

The results were immediate. In 2022, Tua flourished in McDaniel’s system, leading the Dolphins to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. He threw for 2,564 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just three interceptions in the games he played, earning MVP buzz along the way. The following season, Tua took another leap, leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, throwing 29 touchdowns, and making his first Pro Bowl. The Dolphins won 11 games and made the playoffs for the second straight year.

The 2025 Collapse: A Nightmare Season

The 2025 season was supposed to be a continuation of the Dolphins’ resurgence under McDaniel and Tua. Instead, it has been an unmitigated disaster. The team started the season 2-7, with blowout losses to the Colts, Patriots, Panthers, and Chargers. The defense ranked 30th in yards allowed per play, and the offense sputtered without Curry-like performances from Tua.

Tua, who had been an MVP candidate just two years earlier, is having the worst season of his career. His passer rating has plummeted to 86.4, and he’s thrown 18 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. At one point, he led the NFL in turnovers, with 14 combined interceptions and fumbles lost. The confidence McDaniel had painstakingly rebuilt now appears to be gone.

The low point came in a Monday Night Football loss to the Steelers, where Tua struggled mightily in a must-win game. Despite throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns, most of his production came in garbage time. When the game was competitive, Tua completed just two passes on seven third-down dropbacks, was sacked three times, and scrambled for a single yard. The loss eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention, and McDaniel publicly criticized Tua’s performance, saying, “The quarterback play last night was not good enough.”

The Turning Point: Tua’s Comments and McDaniel’s Response

Tensions between Tua and McDaniel began to surface earlier in the season. After a week six loss to the Chargers, Tua publicly called out his teammates for showing up late to player-only meetings. While some saw this as an attempt to hold his teammates accountable, others viewed it as a sign of poor leadership. McDaniel, who had always defended Tua in the past, publicly disagreed with his quarterback’s approach, creating a noticeable rift.

The situation came to a head after the Steelers game, when McDaniel refused to commit to Tua as the team’s starter. Just days later, McDaniel made the shocking decision to bench Tua in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers for an upcoming game against the Bengals. The move sent shockwaves through the NFL, as Tua became the first quarterback in NFL history to be benched while earning $53 million annually.

What’s Next for Tua and the Dolphins?

The Dolphins are now faced with a difficult decision regarding Tua’s future. His four-year, $212 million contract, signed in 2024, makes moving on from him a financial nightmare. Cutting Tua this offseason would result in a record-breaking $99.2 million dead cap hit, while even a trade would leave $45.2 million in dead money on the books.

The most likely scenario is that both Tua and McDaniel return for the 2026 season, as their futures are now tied together. However, the relationship between the two has clearly changed. McDaniel, once Tua’s biggest advocate, now appears to be losing faith in his quarterback. Tua, meanwhile, is struggling to lead both on and off the field, leaving his future with the Dolphins in doubt.

As the Dolphins look ahead, they’ll need to decide whether to stick with Tua or explore other options. The 2026 NFL Draft could provide an opportunity to select a new quarterback, with prospects like Dante Moore, Fernando Mendoza, and Len’Norris Sellers generating buzz. Alternatively, the team could pursue a cost-effective veteran like Mac Jones or Marcus Mariota as a bridge option.

Conclusion: A Partnership in Turmoil

The partnership between Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa began with so much promise. McDaniel’s belief in Tua helped transform him from a broken quarterback into an MVP candidate, and the duo appeared poised to lead the Dolphins back to championship contention. But the 2025 season has exposed deep cracks in their relationship, leaving the future of both McDaniel and Tua in Miami uncertain.

As the Dolphins face another offseason filled with questions, one thing is clear: the clock is ticking. With a frustrated coach, a struggling quarterback, and a fanbase desperate for success, the Dolphins must make some tough decisions to avoid squandering the final years of Tua’s contract and McDaniel’s tenure. Whether they choose to rebuild or make another push for contention, the next steps will define the future of this once-promising partnership.