Quinn Ewers picked up the first win of his NFL career in the Miami Dolphins victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. After the game, his coach offered a quote praising the young quarterback, and may have thrown a hint of shade at Tua Tagovailoa.
Did McDaniel Have Hidden Message After Dolphins Win?
In Miami’s 20-17 victory, Ewers threw 22 passes and completed 14. He finished with a modest 172 passing yard total and was sacked twice, but threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, and kept the Dolphins’ offense moving for most of the day.
After the team’s first touchdown drive, cameras caught former starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, praising his young teammate. Mike McDaniel followed suit during his postgame press conference, and some fans on social media are thinking that his quote had a hidden message for Tagovailoa:
“You have an idea that the game isn’t too big for someone based on your history with them … It’s awesome in this profession when you believe in people and they take advantage of the opportunity.”
On the surface, McDaniel’s words were praise for rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, but context matters. This season has been a struggle for the Dolphins, and most of that pressure has centered on the former starter.
Once a centerpiece of Miami’s explosive offense and a lucrative contract extension, Tagovailoa’s 2025 campaign quickly crumbled. He’s battled inconsistency by leading the league with interceptions thrown, and ultimately lost his starting job to Ewers after weeks of underwhelming play.
McDaniel not hiding his shade from Tua. Damn that relationship soured https://t.co/eSW1lz7QBi
— Tom Ernisse (@DolphinsTalkTom) December 28, 2025
When McDaniel talks about “your history with them” and believing in someone who “takes advantage of the opportunity,” the immediate reference is clearly Ewers. But for many fans, it also carries an implicit comparison to Tagovailoa, a player McDaniel once steadfastly backed.
While McDaniel never mentioned Tagovailoa by name, the subtext is hard to ignore.
Miami Could Part Ways With Tua This Offseason
It is becoming increasingly likely that the Dolphins are planning on moving on from Tagovailoa. Rumors of the team needing a new leader under center had been swirling for months already, but his end-of-season benching may have been the nail in the coffin for his time with the team.
It won’t be easy, though, as Tagovailoa would count for a massive amount of dead cap money should the team part ways this coming offseason. His situation will be one of the more interesting follows in the coming months.
