The Miami Dolphins’ season just keeps spiraling. Following their 31-6 Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the team has fallen to 1-6. But the real story wasn’t the score or their record. It was the quarterback switch. Late in the game, head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tua Tagovailoa after he threw three interceptions. For many, it felt like the end of his run in Miami—except there is one major obstacle: a $54 million problem.

Last year, the Dolphins gave Tagovailoa a massive 4-year $212.4 million contract extension. The deal guaranteed Tagovailoa money through the 2026 season, with $167.1 million guaranteed. But now, the long contract leaves the franchise in a tricky spot. According to Spotrac, the QB is set to earn $54 million next year.

So, if Miami decides to move on from him before next offseason (June 1), it would create around $45 million in dead money. What if they wait until after June 1? The amount would go slightly down, but an additional $43.8 million dead cap charge would await Miami in 2027. It remains to be seen if owner Stephen Ross and GM Chris Grier would be willing to risk so much in dead money.

Whether or not Miami is ready to face the cap ramifications the way Denver did with Russell Wilson in 2024 is a looming question. But money isn’t the only problem here. There are additional parts in that equation.

For instance, who will opt for Tagovailoa?

No team wants an expensive, underperforming, and injury-prone quarterback right now. Last Sunday proved why. Tagovailoa went 12-of-23 for just 100 yards, with three interceptions—his worst outing since entering the league. By the fourth quarter, rookie Quinn Ewers replaced him and went 5-of-8 for 53 yards. And they lost brutally, 31-6.

After the game, Tagovailoa didn’t hide his frustration. “Definitely not happy, not proud of where I’m at with my play, with how I’ve gone about things this year,” he confessed. “I know I’ve gotta be a lot better — and I’ve been better for the Miami Dolphins in years past. But this isn’t years past, this is this year.”

Those were honest words from a quarterback under fire. But truth be told, he has regressed. No wonder many fans want him benched. But what does HC Mike McDaniel think of his QB’s future?

Will Tua Tagovailoa get another chance?

The Dolphins are holding off on major shakeups. Despite the brutal start, McDaniel isn’t ready to bench his quarterback again. At least not yet. He made it clear on Monday that Tua Tagovailoa will remain under center when the Fins take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8. “He is going to take the snaps this week, and he’s going to be our starter this week,” McDaniel said.

After the Browns game, McDaniel expressed that he might change their offensive approach in the coming weeks. “Before watching the tape, I don’t want to over-conclude anything. But, you turn the ball over, it’s the No. 1 indicator of wins and losses, and it negatively affects the team,” the HC said.

“There are multiple factors in those turnovers, but I know at least one to two of them were extremely preventable from Tua, and he knows that. He just wasn’t good enough, so we’ll watch the tape and change our style of play if we have to. Everything’s on the table when you go to a game, you fully know that you have the capability to win and get handed a very, very humbling loss.”

Despite all these admissions, we have yet to see any improvement. The offense looks broken, and the fanbase is losing patience. If things don’t turn around quickly, the Dolphins might reset the quarterback spot and maybe the head coach position, too. All eyes are on McDaniel and Tagovailoa now. What do you think?