If the Miami Dolphins are going to turn around the franchise and deliver Stephen Ross a winning team, they are going to need another quarterback. The only thing Tua Tagovailoa proved on Monday in the team's Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers is that he isn't that person.
The Dolphins' chances of making the playoffs were brutally slim, but that should have taken the pressure off the quarterback. Instead, Tagovailoa delivered another ho-ho-hum primetime game that ended any chances of a miracle.
Tagovailoa threw his first interception on the second drive of the game. It was enough to give him the NFL lead in that category, not exactly the one QBs want to lead in. Once the first one was in the stat column, the Dolphins starter reverted back to his overly cautious self, and that just gave the Steelers more fuel.
Miami Dolphins have to make a Tua Tagovailoa decision this offseason
How can you truly judge Mike McDaniel when he can't rely on a quarterback to do the minimum his job requires? That is what happened in 2025. Tagovailoa wasn't asked to lead the team; he wasn't asked to win games; he was only asked not to make mistakes. He couldn't do that.
On the team's opening second-half drive, the Dolphins quarterback faced a critical third down, but as is often the case, he couldn't sense the pressure, and former Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey had no issues knocking him to the ground. It was a pivotal series as the Steelers held a 14-3 lead.
Monday's game should have been an opportunity for Tagovailoa to prove he can handle running the offense, but instead, he only managed to give the team more reasons to find someone else. The best scenario for all involved would be for the quarterback to inform the team he is retiring for health reasons.
Miami can't win like this, and Tagovailoa has become a shell of the prospect he used to be. Somewhere, Brian Flores is taking comfort in knowing that he was right all along.