The 2025 season has already become a big question mark for the Miami Dolphins. A 1-5 record and the 3rd spot in the AFC East leaves no room for doubt that something has to change. While starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa currently holds the reins, that leadership might have to pave the way to someone else down the line. At least, the front office seems to be thinking along those lines.

As ESPN analyst Jordan Reid noted on X, “#Dolphins GM Chris Grier and multiple representatives from the team are here in attendance today at the Oklahoma/South Carolina game. Two obvious prospects are QBs John Mateer and LaNorris Sellers, among many others.”

Across six games, Tua Tagovailoa has already posted 1200+ passing yards with 11 touchdowns. But throwing seven picks and getting sacked a whopping 13 times has dropped his QB rating to 50.7. Turnovers and heartbreaks have been the defining trend for the Dolphins this season, and they’re already looking forward to flipping the script eventually. But this shift matters well beyond the stats.

On one hand, Tua has been a vocal leader for the locker room throughout the offseason and their rough September. But his recent frustrations with the team have raised major alarms. After a close 29-27 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, Tua had fired shots at his locker room, hinting at a fallout.

“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we’re expecting out of the guys. We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There is a lot that goes into that. … So it’s a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that.”

Head coach Mike McDaniel had called these words a “misguided representation,” noting the quarterback should not have aired their locker room issues in front of the world. While Tua Tagovailoa later apologized for his comments, the damage was already done. And as the team looks at the rookie quarterback draft class coming in next season, is Tua’s time with the Dolphins actually be coming to an end? and could the head coach also go the same way?

Mike McDaniel’s future in Miami

The way things are going, there’s two ways to look at this. The locker room is clearly divided, and injuries to their stars have only made things harder. If their losing streak continues, the Dolphins could land high draft picks next season. This could finally rewrite their trajectory for the better. On the other hand, the Tennessee Titans have already cut ties with head coach Brian Callahan. If the losing streak continues, could Mike McDaniel find himself looking at the exit?

For now, the answer’s no. Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz recently noted that the ownership has no intention of letting go of Mike McDaniel. As Schultz put it:

“Despite the fact that they’re 1-5, questions swirling around their leadership, it is my understanding that owner Stephen Ross is not looking to make a move anytime soon, which means the Dolphins are stuck with Mike McDaniel.”

Despite McDaniel failing to spark a winning culture, he’s staying put. But many around the league continue to believe coach McDaniel is on the hottest of seats in the league. If the tragedies keep piling up, the Dolphins may be forced to move away eventually. Whatever happens, one thing’s certain: the Miami Dolphins are hungry for some wins. But will they get them? Well, that’s a question…