Mike McDaniel wanted to be an NFL head coach, so when the Miami Dolphins came calling, he was willing to do just about anything. That included keeping Tua Tagovailoa as the quarterback. Then he benched him for Quinn Ewers.
From that moment, McDaniel made a decision before he even had the Dolphins job. He would keep the quarterback that his predecessor didn't want. It was one of the things Stephen Ross wanted to hear, and now, it might be what ultimately forces the Dolphins owner to make a head coaching change.
The problem wasn't necessarily agreeing to take the job with Tagovailoa at quarterback; it was the insistence and agreement with Chris Grier that his new contract was worth the money. For all the responsibility Grier bears for that decision, so does McDaniel.
Tua Tagovailoa's benching may be the final nail in Mike McDaniel's Dolphins' coffin
McDaniel conceded to the Dolphins executives when he took the job, but in his first two seasons as the head coach, he should have seen enough to know that Tagovailoa wasn't without major flaws. His concussions alone were widely discussed. That didn't stop Miami from giving him a massive extension after the 2023 season.
In some ways, McDaniels' hands were tied. Tagovailoa was coming off his best season as a quarterback, a contract year-type season, but it was a season that wasn't without red flags. The quarterback was taking risks he shouldn't have. He threw a then-high 14 career interceptions.
When things were clicking with the offense, Tagovailoa was at his best, but when opposing teams figured out how to take away his initial reads, he failed, often miserably. At the end of the season, the Dolphins' impressive season died with three losses over the final five games. Teams figured out how to beat Tagovailoa and McDaniel's offense.
Miami lost the division title in the final weekend against the Bills. They lost a week later in the first round of the playoffs.
Now, two years removed, the Dolphins are far less explosive. There are major questions at almost every position, including quarterback. Ross has a decision to make on his head coach, and the next three weeks may be what solidifies his coaching career with the Dolphins.
How this gets viewed by Ross will be interesting. Ewers has played well, and Ross may look at this as a major mistake by McDaniel not to make the change earlier. The fact that Tagovailoa has regressed so much in the last two years is enough to get any coach fired, let alone one who lobbied for a massive extension that will now cripple the team.