The Miami Dolphins are struggling at 1-5, and Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers only makes things worse. After a promising start to head coach Mike McDaniel’s tenure with a 20-13 record, including playoffs, the team has plunged this season.

Behind the scenes, the tension between the coach and his franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, has surfaced publicly. The question looming now: What’s left to salvage for a Dolphins team that can’t seem to finish games or find unity?

The comments from Tua criticizing teammates for showing up late or worse, skipping player-led meetings are only adding fuel to the growing fire. But Mike McDaniel quickly shot down those claims, saying those meetings are optional. “Clearly he’s sending a message. But from my standpoint, everything I’ve asked of guys, they’ve delivered on. And so i’m sure whoever he’s talking to, they’ll deliver.” 

Sunday’s heartbreaker against the Chargers dropped them to 1-5 overall and 0-4 on Sundays, each loss painfully close. The fanbase’s patience is thinning, empty seats are growing, and boos echo loudly at Hard Rock Stadium.

McDaniel’s not backing Tua here. He emphasized that these player-only meetings are extracurricular, “outside of what I demand.” The coach insists his demands get met, and whoever’s lagging behind better get it together. The divide between QB and coach is showing, right on the field and off it.

It’s a crucial distinction. Mike McDaniel’s record has tumbled to 29-30 overall, dropping below .500 for the first time since he took over. With fans chanting for his firing along with GM Chris Grier, the coach appears determined to maintain control over his narrative.

Tua calls out teammates’ commitment

Tua Tagovailoa publicly called out his teammates. “We have guys showing up to player only meetings late, guys not showing up to player-only meetings.” It’s clear Tua’s frustrated and feels the locker room is losing focus. “There’s a lot that goes into that. … There’s a lot of things of that nature that we’ve got to get cleaned up.”

The QB’s remarks shone a spotlight on serious internal dysfunction. These player-led meetings, designed to build accountability and cohesion beyond McDaniel’s formal demands, seem to be losing participants and focus.

For a team that has been struggling to close out games, this lack of discipline off the field reflects directly on their on-field failures. The Dolphins have blown leads several times, including Sunday’s heartbreaking 29-27 loss. They gave up a 13-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter.

Tua’s candid observations came after a tough Sunday where the Dolphins surrendered a late lead due to a kickoff return and a long touchdown reception. “This is something that we’ve talked about collectively as a team about being able to finish in games like this where we have the opportunity to win the game. And it’s not just one side of the ball. It’s every phase,” he said.

With fan frustration mounting, empty seats growing, and vocal calls for change flying above Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins face a crucial crossroads. The battle lines between coach and quarterback, responsibility and accountability, may well define their season’s fate.