There is no telling what teams may do season after season. Often times the proverbial writing is on the wall given a head coach's performance, but there are often one-year resets that shock everyone.
That wouldn't be the case for the Miami Dolphins. The team has been led by head coach Mike McDaniel since 2022, and he currently has a 28-23 record through that time.
The issue with McDaniel is that the once-thought offensive genius saw his team underperform in 2024, posting an 8-9 record. While teams go through rough patches, it appeared that the Dolphins' thin depth showed some glaring concerns.
One of those glaring concerns is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missing multiple games due to another concussion. Without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are a lost team, which was proven even more in 2024.
That said, there are plenty who believe McDaniel will be let go should the Dolphins underperform again in 2025. However, one NFL insider believes that McDaniel and Tagovailoa would be moved if Miami posts another mediocre record.
NFL insider Mike Florio not only stated that Tagovailoa is on the "hot seat" among active NFL quarterbacks, but a regime change could signal a complete reset for the team.
"Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: His contract guarantees his pay through 2026. If the Dolphins fall flat and change coaches, the next coach likely will want a fresh start at quarterback. While the cap charges will complicate a split before 2027, every high-end quarterback contract eventually leads to a big cap charge when the relationship ends. The next coach (and the next G.M., if owner Stephen Ross cleans house) may want to rip the Band-Aid off in one motion," Florio writes.
Florio has a point in that McDaniel could definitely be on the hot seat. Having a catastrophic season in 2024 with 8-9 as opposed to the 11-6 record in 2023 is something that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross might take umbrage with.
Also, the Dolphins have lost in the Wild Card round in 2022 and 2023. The organization has not won a playoff game in 25 years, and steep changes might be coming should McDaniel not perform.
Tagovailoa being moved is a bit more of a confusing idea from Florio. The obvious reason the Dolphins would move on from Tagovailoa is due to his injury history.
If the signal caller cannot produce a fully healthy season in 2025, the Dolphins might have to make an incredibly tough call by finding someone who can. The issue is that Miami just awarded Tagovailoa a four-year, $212 million contract extension.
Tagovailoa would cost the Dolphins $56.4 million on the cap in 2026 due to his large contract. That number alone would be cause for concern.
Also, when healthy, Tagovailoa is the most accurate quarterback in the NFL. He posted a 72.9 completion percentage, which led the league.
Tagovailoa has a ton of skill, but his issue is remaining healthy. In five seasons, Tagovailoa has only played all 17 games once, in 2023.
The Dolphins may come to a place where they need to decide to move on from Tagovailoa, but to do so following the 2025 season might be hasty. This is assuming he cannot play through the whole season or has a horrible year of production.
Miami has many question marks heading into the 2025 season, but all the skill players are now healthy. Depth is still a major concern for the team, but if the offensive line can hold and protect Tagovailoa, there is no way the Dolphins will move on from him.
More NFL:
For more on the Dolphins and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
Related Articles
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.