The Miami Dolphins finished their season at 7-10 after losing 38-10 to the New England Patriots in the regular season finale. The Dolphins’ record marked the worst since head coach Mike McDaniel took over the team. After winning seasons and playoff berths in each of his first two seasons, McDaniel has now had back-to-back losing seasons and the team’s first double-digit loss since 2019.
In spite of the Dolphins’ disappointing season, Mike McDaniel still has the team’s fifth-best winning percentage among Miami head coaches. Amid growing uncertainty regarding his future with the team, McDaniel said, “No one is entitled to anything. I take the job seriously. I will aggressively attack the job tomorrow, like every day I have the job.”
With the Dolphins search for a general manager underway, the team has not yet decided what the future of McDaniel will be.
Dolphins Pro Bowl Player Hopes for Fresh Start
Another Miami Dolphins member with an uncertain future is former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The 2023 Pro Bowler struggled in the 2025 season as he led the league in interceptions until he was benched. With three games remaining on the season, the Dolphins opted to go with rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers as the team’s starting quarterback. Tagovailoa was demoted, and became the team’s third-string emergency quarterback.
Tagovailoa expressed annoyance at the decision, saying, “I’m not happy about it.” The Dolphins won four out of the final five games that Tua started, but his performance in those games didn’t warrant the team continuing to start him. Even during Miami’s win streak, the quarterback expressed displeasure at the state of the offense, as he said he would like to throw it more.
With the season over, Tagovailoa was asked if he wanted a fresh start. He responded, saying, “that would be dope. I would be good with it.” He declined to answer whether that fresh start meant playing elsewhere. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport previously reported that Tua Tagovailoa was not expected to be back with the Dolphins in 2026.
Miami Dolphins Quarterback History
The end of Tagovailoa’s tenure in Miami will signify a new era of Dolphins quarterbacks. After being drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa started 76 games for the Dolphins, going 44-32. Tagovailoa made one Pro Bowl in 2023 after leading the NFL in passing yards. He led the Dolphins to the playoffs twice, but participated in only one game as a concussion ruled him out of Miami’s 2022 playoff game against the Bills. He led the NFL in passer rating in the 2022 season.
The Dolphins handed the keys to Quinn Ewers for the final three games of the season. The rookie went 1-2 as the team’s starter. NFL Network insider Cameron Wolfe reported that the Dolphins are planning to bring in competition for the starting quarterback next season. Another possibility for the Dolphins is two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. He was linked in a hypothetical trade with the Dolphins as there is some uncertainty about his future in Baltimore amid an injury-riddled season.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Dolphins Pro Bowl Player Hopes for ‘Fresh Start’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.
