Miami Dolphins fans have started to get fed up with the team, and Tua Tagovailoa says he can understand why.
Prior to the Dolphins’ game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, someone paid for a plane to fly a banner over Hard Rock Stadium in Miami that said “Fire Grier, Fire McDaniel.” The message was one urging the Dolphins to part ways with both head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier.
Miami then went out and lost 33-27 to the Patriots. The Dolphins got the ball back with 1:47 left in great field position at the 40-yard line, but they committed multiple pre-snap penalties before Tagovailoa was sacked twice to end the game.
Tagovailoa was later asked by a reporter if he saw the banner calling for McDaniel and Grier to be fired. The former No. 5 overall pick said he did not see that but he did hear the home fans booing.
“I didn’t see any of that, but did hear the boos,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s part of the game. The fans pay money — their hard-earned money — to come and see their team play and we go out there and we don’t look the part as we have previous years.
“It’s all understandable and it comes with the game. You get the boos. You get the cheers. It’s like anything else. You get the highs. You get the lows. For us, mentally, as players, we’ve got to stay even-keeled. We’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to continue to trust one another and build off of whatever this game was.”
Tua Tagovailoa on the 'Fire Grier Fire McDaniel' banner and being boo'd off the field: "I didn't see any of that but did hear the boos… the fans pay their hard earned money to come and see their team and we go out there and we don't look the part." (@MiamiDolphins) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/0JesCVZ4NP
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 14, 2025
McDaniel is firmly on the hot seat. There was talk after Miami’s 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts last week that McDaniel might not make it through the season, and Sunday’s performance is only going to hurt his case.
While there is no need for the Dolphins to panic after an 0-2 start, the way they have lost is concerning. Their offense was nonexistent in Week 1, and they made far too many errors late against the Patriots. Mistakes like those could cost McDaniel his job sooner rather than later.
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