Mike McDaniel shared his thoughts on Tua Tagovailoa
Prior to the 2022 season, the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as their next head coach. The move came as a surprise as McDaniel had only served one year as an offensive coordinator and had never called plays. However, the Dolphins wanted someone to get the best out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In his first two seasons, McDaniel did just that, as Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa regressed over the last two seasons. In 2024, Tagovailoa missed six games with a concussion and a hip injury. In 2025, Tagovailoa was able to stay healthy, but his performance dipped. He posted his lowest QBR and passer rating since his rookie season. That led to McDaniel benching the quarterback after Week 15. Despite the move, McDaniel was not able to retain his job as he was fired after missing the postseason for the second consecutive season.
While McDaniel did get the most out of Tua Tagovailoa, ownership did not give him an opportunity to work with a quarterback of his choosing.
Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Shares Thoughts on Tua Tagovailoa
Now, McDaniel has been hired by the Los Angeles Chargers as their new offensive coordinator. In his introductory press conference, McDaniel was asked about the Dolphins offense declining over the past two seasons. He mentioned Tagovailoa as he said, “We dealt with some injury issues with Tua the year previous, and I think that [it emphasized] how important the QB is to your overall effectiveness as a coach and as a team.”
While there has not been any report detailing what happened between McDaniel and Tagovailoa, reading the tea leaves suggests the relationship between the two men soured. During the 2025 season, Tagovailoa stated that he would like to throw it more, despite the team being in the middle of a winning streak.
Once Tagovailoa was benched, McDaniel stated that rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers gave the Dolphins a better chance to win. After four years McDaniel and Tagovailoa went 31-24 together. When Tagovailoa did not play, the Dolphins under McDaniel went 4-9.
McDaniel’s New Quarterback
McDaniel will now have a chance to coach the quarterback who was selected directly after Tagovailoa. Justin Herbert was selected one pick behind Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft. Regarding his new quarterback, McDaniel said, “There’s a lot of incredible plays Justin has made. He’s firmly capable and sometimes as a coach you can rely upon that a little too much.”
Like Tagovailoa, Herbert has not won a playoff game since entering the NFL. However, he has made the Pro Bowl twice and is firmly positioned as the Chargers’ franchise quarterback. McDaniel previously maximized Tagovailoa’s talents. If he does the same with Herbert he may find himself with another head coaching job sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins will likely be without both Tagovailoa and McDaniel going forward. While Tagovailoa is still under contract, the expectation is the Dolphins will cut ties with him. The team has been linked to dual-threat quarterback Malik Willis as his potential replacement.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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