Dolphins' Mike McDaniel addresses Tua Tagovailoa benching report, departure of Chris Grier

Two days after Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced that the Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier had "mutually" agreed to part ways, a report revealed that the Dolphins could soon bench struggling starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in favor of backup Zach Wilson or rookie Quinn Ewers.

On Monday, under-fire head coach Mike McDaniel addressed Tagovailoa's status. 

Does Tua Tagovailoa still give Dolphins "the best chance to win?"

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, McDaniel insisted that Tagovailoa gives the 2-7 Dolphins "the best chance to win" for Miami's home game versus the Buffalo Bills (6-2) this coming Sunday. However, McDaniel stopped short of confirming a healthy Tagovailoa will remain atop the depth chart through Week 18.

"When [a player] doesn’t give you the best chance to win, you adjust. We play the players who give us the best chance to win," McDaniel added. "If that changes, we adjust there." 

According to Pro Football Reference stats, Tagovailoa ended Week 9 ranked 27th in the NFL among qualified players with a 43.3 adjusted QBR and 25th with an 87.6 passer rating on the season. The StatMuse website shows that no player has committed more total turnovers than Tagovailoa (12) since Week 1. 

Meanwhile, a Monday story suggested that "nothing is guaranteed for McDaniel...over the next few weeks" as it pertains to his employment. Miami enters its bye in Week 12 following a matchup versus the Washington Commanders (3-6) in Madrid on Nov. 16. History shows that a desperate head coach sometimes makes a major change in an attempt to hold onto his job. 

Mike McDaniel addresses "emotional toll" related to Chris Grier departure

"We worked together every day," McDaniel said about Grier, who initially took over as Dolphins general manager in 2016. "I’m a human being. Whether it’s football or life things, that’s an emotional toll when you realize things are going to be different. But none of my job, or what people depend on me for, has anything to do with my feelings."

As of Tuesday morning, ESPN BET had the Dolphins as 8.5-point home underdogs against the Bills. It seems as if there's at least a chance that either Wilson or Ewers could see some action at Hard Rock Stadium if Tagovailoa fails to impress against the Buffalo defense.