Tua Tagovailoa benched: ESPN's Marcus Spears shares brutally honest take about future of Dolphins QB

The Miami Dolphins are planning to start rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Yes, that means Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s starter since 2020, has been benched.

The future of Tagovailoa in Miami is very much up in the air. Marcus Spears of ESPN believes the 27-year-old should actually be contemplating retirement given his injury history.

“If Tua can make his money while still retiring. He should. I don’t think he has any interest in playing football anymore,” Spears wrote on X. “I also don’t blame him. I said then and I say now the concussions he had were not the ones that ever leave you.”

Injuries have been a major part of Tagovailoa’s NFL career. He suffered three documented concussions between September 2022-September 2024. Going back to his playing days at Alabama, Tagovailoa sustained a concussion and also underwent hip surgery in November 2019.

The injuries have piled up on Tagovailoa, who is currently putting together his worst season in the NFL. Tagovailoa has thrown for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 67.7% passing.

In Monday’s 28-15 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tagovailoa completed 22-of-28 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Tagovailoa was 6-of-10 for 65 yards and an interception through three quarters of play. At one point, the Dolphins trailed 28-3.

Tua Tagovailoa benched, Dolphins will see what they have in Quinn Ewers

At 6-8 and out of playoff contention, head coach Mike McDaniel left the door open for changes to be made. That included one at quarterback.

“I think the quarterback play last night was not good enough, and so for me, everything’s on the table,” McDaniel said Tuesday.

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.1 million extension in July 2024. At the time, Tagovailoa was coming off a 2023 season in which he stayed healthy throughout and led the league with 4,624 passing yards. Tagovailoa failed to replicate that success across 11 games in 2024. This season has been a failure every which way for Miami.

McDaniel is ripping the band-aid off by benching Tagovailoa. Ewers will presumably get the final three games to show the Dolphins if he can be a starting option in 2026. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, appears all but guaranteed to be playing for a new team next season — if he wants to continue playing.