Tua Tagovailoa reacts to being benched, possible end of Dolphins career

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel benched quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers on Wednesday. 

Later in the day, Tagovailoa spoke about the fact that he will be Miami's third choice emergency quarterback when the 6-8 Dolphins host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) in Week 16. 

Tua Tagovailoa disappointed by benching

"Naturally, I’d say I’m disappointed," Tagovailoa acknowledged, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "It’s a normal human emotion. ..I’m not happy about it. Outside of that, I’ve got to do my part. My road here right now is to help whoever the quarterback is going to be for this team, help him whatever way I can to win this game on Sunday." 

The Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention when they suffered a 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. Meanwhile, StatMuse shows that Tagovailoa and Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks are tied with a league-high 16 total turnovers this season. 

"The biggest thing, being honest with myself as well, is my performance," Tagovailoa added. "I haven’t been performing up to my levels and my capabilities that I have in the past." 

Has Tua Tagovailoa taken his last snap as a member of the Dolphins? 

Even before Tagovailoa was officially benched, whispers emerged suggesting the Dolphins could part ways with the 27-year-old during the upcoming offseason. History shows a different team likely won't do Miami a solid by trading for Tagovailoa. Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, Miami could spread $99.2M in dead salary cap charges related to cutting Tagovailoa over two years by designating him as a post-June 1 release. 

A 2020 first-round draft pick, Tagovailoa has never guided the Dolphins to a playoff victory. He also has a concerning injury history going back to his college days. 

"I’m not too sure," Tagovailoa responded when asked if he thinks he has played his last game as a member of the Dolphins. "I can’t predict the future. I can’t predict any of that. It is what it is. I’ve got to help out [Ewers], help out [No. 2 quarterback Zach Wilson]."

Tagovailoa insisted that "this is a good time for me to reflect on a lot of the things that have happened throughout the season." Such reflection likely won't help Tagovailoa save his Dolphins career unless a new regime takes over and views him as the club's best option for 2026.