Former Super Bowl champion reveals which QB, HC duo are on hot seat

A recurring issue for Tagovailoa throughout his career has been injuries. He missed multiple games in 2021 after fracturing his ribs and fracturing the middle finger on his throwing hand. He's also missed significant time in 2022-24 due to concussions, and was sidelined an additional two games at the end of last season due to a hip injury.

The rash of injuries and inconsistency is why Canty is putting so much pressure on Tagovailoa and McDaniel as the 2025 season approaches.

"We're going into year six of a quarterback who's only been able to have one season being fully healthy," Canty said. "I'm sorry, but the inconsistency that we've seen from both McDaniel and Tua put them both on the hot seat, and I can see a world where the general manager, the head coach and the quarterback are out of a job by season's end."

Even in 2023, the one season that Tagovailoa played all 17 games, he still accounted for 14 interceptions. His 4,624 passing yards and 29 TDs were sensational, but the giveaways were certainly concerning. In his one postseason start in the wild-card round against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023-24 season, Tagovailoa was held to just 199 yards in a 26-7 blowout loss.

Tagovailoa generated some headlines at the beginning of training camp when he suggested that wide receiver Tyreek Hill needs to get back on the same page with his teammates and "build everything up again." Those comments stemmed from Hill's decision to sub himself out of Miami's regular-season finale against the New York Jets in January. Hill responded to Tagovailoa's remarks on Friday.

That, on top of the lack of success on the field, has put a ton of pressure on McDaniel and Tagovailoa to deliver in 2025. Through a combination of injuries and poor performances when the lights are the brightest, the Dolphins are looking to prove people wrong in 2025 and change the narrative that they cannot win meaningful games with that duo at the helm.