Dolphins Bench Tua Tagovailoa After Loss to Steelers, Quinn Ewers Expected to Start
The Miami Dolphins have benched quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following their 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 15, 2025. Quinn Ewers, a Texas product and 2025 NFL Draft seventh-round pick, is expected to start in Tagovailoa's place. Ewers saw limited action during the game, completing 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards.
Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year, $212 million extension in July 2024 with $167 million guaranteed, had recorded significant NFL achievements, including leading the league in passing yards (4,624) in 2023 and leading in completion percentage (72.9%) in 11 games in 2024. In the 2025 season, prior to the benching, Tagovailoa had completed 67.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 14 games.
During the Steelers game, Tagovailoa completed 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, with most of his production occurring when the game was out of reach. The defeat eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention, dropping their record to 6-8 after starting the season 2-7 and achieving a four-game winning streak.
Reports indicate that the Dolphins considered Zach Wilson before deciding to turn to Ewers as the new starting quarterback.
