Tua Tagovailoa was benched for performance but will keep starting job

Tua Tagovailoa’s poor performance on Sunday got him benched late in Miami’s loss to Denver, but it apparently won’t be permanent.

Dolphins coach Brian Flores confirmed after Sunday’s game that Tagovailoa was benched for performance reasons, not injury. However, Flores added that Tagovailoa will still keep his starting job in Week 12 against the New York Jets.

Tagovailoa was just 11-of-20 for 83 yards and a touchdown when he was replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter. Fitzpatrick got the Dolphins within a touchdown, but he threw a late interception to seal Miami’s fate. There was speculation that Tagovailoa had suffered an injury, but Flores made clear that was not the case.

It sounds like Flores tried to give his team a jolt by bringing Fitzpatrick in. It almost worked. Even if Tagovailoa is set to start in Week 12, expect this to raise questions about the Dolphins’ quarterback situation going forward.