Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Is Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel asking to be fired with his latest quip?

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 7:09 PM ET

Tua Tagovailoa will remain the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins for the time being, and head coach Mike McDaniel does not exactly sound thrilled about it. In fact, it is fair to wonder at this point if McDaniel is asking to be fired.

McDaniel has confirmed that Tagovailoa is going to start for the Dolphins when they travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Sunday. The decision comes a day after Tagovailoa had arguably his worst game as a pro. The former first-round pick completed 12-of-23 passes for 100 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in a 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

When asked on Monday if Tagovailoa will keep his starting job barring an injury, McDaniel sounded like a coach who was being forced into a decision. He even took a surprising swipe at Tagovailoa over the quarterback's three-interception performance against the Browns.

"Yeah, he's gonna take the snaps this week and he's gonna be our starter this week, and my expectation is that we don't throw 10 picks," McDaniel said.

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel says Tua will be the starting QB this week. And his expectation is that they will not throw “ten picks.” pic.twitter.com/Vqvztxu3zl
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) October 20, 2025

Mike McDaniel seems fed up with his situation

McDaniel is known for being sarcastic with the media, but the timing of his comment about Tagovailoa is troubling. The Dolphins are coming off an embarrassing loss that dropped them to 1-6 on the season. McDaniel suggested after the game that he had not ruled out benching Tagovailoa.

It seems unlikely that McDaniel can survive many more losses, especially given the way the Dolphins have lost. One legendary coach seemed to think Miami players quit on McDaniel during Sunday's game, which is usually the quickest way for a head coach to be shown the door in the NFL.

McDaniel may know that he is on borrowed time with the Dolphins. His decision to take a public shot at his starting quarterback could be a reflection of that.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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