Thankfully for Miami Dolphins fans and Tua Tagovailoa's future -- both personal and professional -- the QB has returned to the field from an earlier concussion and remained healthy across the past couple of games.
Unfortunately, Miami has lost both contests. Now at 2-7 and on the brink of a lost season (an eighth defeat likely spells the end of any reasonable playoff hopes), some are suggesting it's time to shelve Tagovailoa for the remainder of the year.
"Two tight losses have practically ended their season. Does it make sense to keep Tua Tagovailoa on the field when you're out of contention?" Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report wrote on Friday, Nov. 8. "If the goal is a Super Bowl and that's not realistic, maybe you have to consider letting him rest and pursue more treatment to prevent potential future injuries."
That outcome is unlikely in Miami for as long as the team is mathematically alive for the playoffs. Long-suffering Dolphins fans have seen their franchise earn playoff berths after each of the past two seasons after a five-year hiatus and aren't likely to respond favorably to sacrificing hopes for a third consecutive postseason appearance just halfway through the campaign.
Miami's coaching staff and the rest of its locker room aren't likely keen on throwing their proverbial hat in the ring in Week 10 either, then turning their focus to next year with eight games yet to play.
However, as soon as the Dolphins are officially out of the playoff picture, benching Tagovailoa for the remainder of the season makes all the sense in the world. The more time off he has, the better it is for his brain after a long history of head injuries in what has otherwise been a relatively short NFL career (five years).
Miami also has the backup quarterback position to consider. Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle all failed in that role in 2024. And given Tagovailoa's injury history, the Dolphins have more justification than perhaps any other team in the league to spend meaningfully on a second signal caller.
If the franchise still believes in any of the backup QBs on its roster, the last handful of games of the year will allow for a high-stakes tryout of sorts. If not, those games would provide an opportunity for Miami to bring in another quarterback or two from the unemployment line and see if any of them click with what should be a high-octane offense if run by any capable mind/arm under center.
