Mike Florio says Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel isn’t Miami’s problem, ‘By year 6, you know…’

Mike Florio believes it’s time for Miami Dolphins to move on from Tua Tagovailoa

In the build-up to the game this week, it was clear that Tagovailoa’s confidence ‘was shot’ as his praise for Josh Allen came across as excessive and self-deprecatory.

Mike Florio picked up on this as well, and he thinks that there is nothing left for the Miami Dolphins to get out of Tagovailoa that hasn’t already been seen.

Speaking on CBS’s Pro Football Talk, Florio said: Just go back and look at what he was saying about Josh Allen this week. Like he’s in awe of Josh Allen, because Josh Allen has all the skills.

“He has all the natural abilities. Plenty of people would love to play in the National Football League. Their skills and abilities prevent them from doing it.

“Some of the guys who have made it to the NFL, their skills and abilities prevent them from being among the best of the best. And there’s no shame, as I said, in relation to Brock Purdy.

“When the 49ers were trying to peg his value, they ended up paying him too much. He’s middle of the pack, and there’s no shame in being in the middle of the pack.

“There’s no shame in being the guy with only 15 people in the world who are better at this than I am. That’s pretty damn good.

“But you don’t just will your way to be Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson. You either are or you aren’t. And you hit your ceiling. By year six, we know who a guy is.

“Now, look, that said, Jim Harbaugh is unlocking some badass in Justin Herbert and getting him to take more from his abilities. That’s a guy who still has toothpaste in the tube.

“Harbaugh is doing what he can to squeeze it out. With Tua, it’s squeezed. That’s it. That’s what you get. It’s going to be the same song, the same movie, and sometimes it’s going to work, and sometimes it’s not.”

As analogies go, Florio’s was a fairly good one. Herbert is showing this year with the Los Angeles Chargers that there is a lot left to unlock. With Tagovailoa, unfortunately, the same mistakes keep being repeated.

Has Mike McDaniel done all he can with Tua Tagovailoa at the Miami Dolphins?

NFL analyst Michael Holley believes that McDaniel has done everything that he was asked to do with Tua Tagovailoa, and that the realization is that the quarterback has reached his limitations.

McDaniel took over from Brian Flores with a view to getting the best out of their franchise quarterback, and in the early years, he developed significantly. But there were always limitations.

The Bills-Dolphins clash had some interesting takeaways, but none more so than Tagovailoa showing that there’s not much more down the line for him at the Dolphins.

Unfortunately for Miami, they signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with the Dolphins through 2028. In March this year, his $54 million guaranteed salary for 2026 was triggered.

They don’t necessarily have to play him, but if they go into the draft next year looking to take a quarterback, it would not be surprising. The Dolphins have an out with Tagovailoa’s contract ahead of 2027.

A pre 6/1 release in 2027 would result in (as per Spotrac):

A post 6/1 release would split the dead cap over the next two seasons:

Plenty to think about for the Miami Dolphins’ owner, Stephen Ross. Do they sack GM Chris Grier, McDaniel, or move on from Tagovailoa? Or even all three.