Mike McDaniel might be next on the hot seat after General Manager Chris Grier’s firing, and the Miami HC needs to make sure that he gets the most out of his offense. His quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, keeps teasing him with flashes of brilliance, like that four-touchdown explosion against Atlanta, only to relapse into his old, turnover-prone habits. Will McDaniel bench Tua when he reaches the breaking point?

According to insider Ian Rapoport, Tua’s quarterback play would have to sink even more for Mike McDaniel to consider benching him.

“Tagovailoa’s play would have to really fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers, but a potential benching is not off the table at some point this season,” Rapoport wrote.

Tua doesn’t have much further to fall. He’s started every game this season, won just two of seven, and while his 15 touchdown passes look respectable on paper, the 11 interceptions are the anchor dragging him down. And there’s not a lot of room for it to get any worse.

“My expectation is that we don’t throw 10 picks,” Mike McDaniel recently said. And it might literally take 10 picks from Tua for him to reach his breaking point. But when he does decide to bench him? Rookie Quinn Ewers might be second in line ahead of former Jets QB Zach Wilson.

“Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers impressed enough to replace Wilson for one game recently as Tagovailoa’s primary backup, and he’s come on in practice, as well. The possibility that Ewers could play meaningful snaps if Tagovailoa
continues to struggle should not be discounted,” Rapoport added in his report.

Ewers was Miami’s seventh-round pick in April, fresh off a standout run at Texas, where he led the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. He got his feet wet earlier this season against Cleveland, completing five of eight passes for 53 yards.

Of course, not much of a sample size, but enough to intrigue fans who are tired of seeing the same script play out under center with Tua. Meanwhile, Wilson has barely seen the field, throwing only six passes this year and not starting a game since 2023.

If the Dolphins truly see Ewers as part of their future, it might be time to give him the QB2 role outright. They don’t have much to lose anymore. At least there’s one bright spot in this mess: Miami isn’t planning to move its most explosive offensive weapon anytime soon.

Dolphins unlikely to trade WR

After the firing of Chris Grier, the Dolphins might be open to a fire sale at this point. There are two days left before the trade deadline, but it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins are willing to let go of their WR. According to insider Adam Schefter, they are highly unlikely to listen to any offers for Jayden Waddle.

“For starters, the Dolphins are expected to ask for (in the words of a source) “a 1-plus” in any potential trade for Waddle, meaning they believe they would have to receive a first-round draft pick plus other compensation,” Schefter wrote.

The ESPN insider concluded his point by saying that it’s unlikely that a team will be willing to give up a first-round pick and even more compensation on top of it.

And why should Miami sell anyway? Waddle, who signed a three-year, $84.75 million extension back in May this year, has been one of the few constants on this offense. Through nine games, he’s hauled in 41 catches for 586 yards and four touchdowns.

Racking up just two wins after putting up these numbers is frustrating. He might want an out at some point. But for as long as he’s willing to stay, the Dolphins need to make the most of it. As bad as the QB play has been, it’d get even worse without their star wide receiver.