Tua Tagovailoa has finally been benched.
But backup Zach Wilson wasn’t picked as his replacement. And the ex-Jets quarterback isn’t exactly thrilled about it.
On Wednesday, two days after the Dolphins fell to the Steelers on “Monday Night Football,” Miami head coach Mike McDaniel decided that Tagovailoa would go to the bench and be replaced by rookie signal-caller Quinn Ewers.
Wilson admitted he was “frustrated” and that he would love to be playing against Joe Burrow and the Bengals on Sunday, but said he’d still support the Texas product who will be making his first NFL start.
“Of course I would love to play,” Wilson said, according to the Miami Herald. “I can’t control that. My job is to go out and do the best I can. Keep preparing, …. getting better, supporting Quinn. Excited for him to get his first start.”
On Tuesday, McDaniel opened the door to a quarterback change after Tagovailoa threw for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Pittsburgh loss. Most of that production came in garbage time, however.
It has been a down year overall for Tagovailoa, who leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and holds a career-low 36.7 QBR.
“The QB play [Monday] night was not good enough,” McDaniel said. “So, everything is on the table.”
What wasn’t on the table, apparently, was Wilson starting in Week 16.
Wilson, drafted No. 2 overall by the Jets in 2021 before a disappointing three-season stint, was traded to the Broncos before the 2024 season and then signed with Miami this year after Denver declined his option.
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He hasn’t played much in Miami, getting into three games and completing 6-of-9 pass attempts for 32 yards.
“It’s definitely been tough. I don’t think the season has gone as we all had hoped,” Wilson said of the team’s season. “Wish we could have pulled out some more wins and things had gone a little smoother. And of course, I would like to be playing, but it happens. So we’ll go from there.”
Wilson did add that McDaniel told him it’s a possibility he could play at some point in the final stretch of the season, depending on how things shake out.
Ewers, a season after leading the SEC with 31 touchdowns, now gets his first crack at starting professionally.
