Tagovailoa benched, Rodgers lauds ‘castoffs’
The future is uncertain for Tua Tagovailoa.
The Miami Dolphins are slotting Tagovailoa in favor of seventh-round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, according to reports.
Ewers is expected to start Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The change comes a day after head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that Miami’s quarterback play was “not good enough” in Monday night’s 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and that “everything is on the table.”
Tagovailoa completed 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in that loss, but the Dolphins trailed 28-3 before two fourth-quarter touchdowns made the score more respectable.
The loss eliminated Miami (6-8) from the playoffs.
For the season, Tagovailoa has 20 touchdown passes with an NFL-high 15 interceptions and is averaging just 190.0 passing yards per game.
Tagovailoa – the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft – is in his sixth season in the NFL. He is in the middle of a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million that he signed in July 2024.
Leaving Tagovailoa would have significant salary cap implications, as he is guaranteed $54 million in 2026. Releasing Tagovailoa this offseason would leave the Dolphins with $99 million in dead money through 2027, according to ESPN.
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, out for the season with a knee injury, appeared to react to Tagovailoa’s benching by posting a short video of a man holding up a peace sign and then disappearing.
Ewers, 22, led the Texas Longhorns to back-to-back berths in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff before the Dolphins selected him with the No. 231 pick last spring.
He completed 23 of 43 passes for two touchdowns and threw no interceptions in three preseason games.
Ewers gets the nod over Zach Wilson, who the Dolphins signed to a one-year, $6 million deal during the offseason.
Wilson, who the Jets drafted with the No. 2 pick in 2021, hasn’t started a game since his disappointing tenure in East Rutherford ended after the 2023 season.
THE RISE OF RODGERS
Another former Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is poised to make the playoffs with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh (8-6) leads the AFC North by one game over the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) with three games remaining.
A return to the playoffs is far from guaranteed, since Pittsburgh still has to face the Detroit Lions (8-6) away and the Ravens at home.
But this season is going better for Rodgers than at any point in his two-year tenure with the Jets, who released him in March under new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey.
“There are a few scraps if you look at our roster, which makes it really special,” Rodgers, 42, said after Monday’s win over Miami.
“Kenny Gainwell signed almost a zero contract. Connor Heyward, as an afterthought, scored a touchdown. Marquez [Valdes-Scantling] was part of a few teams. Adam Thielen was cut. [Asante] Samuel [Jr.] had been on the street for a long time. That says a lot about the character of the guys we recruited.
When asked if he gave himself the same label, Rodgers responded matter-of-factly: “No, I’m not trash.”
With the Jets, Rodgers missed all but four offensive snaps due to a torn Achilles in 2023, then went 5-12 last season.
But Rodgers has 22 touchdown passes against seven interceptions this season and could return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Without him, the Jets are 3-11.
MORE ON MAHOMES
Travis Kelce hasn’t said much about his own future, but he has few doubts about Patrick Mahomes’ future following a devastating knee injury.
“He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to football,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast.
“He’s going to make sure he comes back stronger than ever. Hopefully the Chiefs can get him back sooner rather than later.”
Mahomes suffered a torn left ACL in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and had surgery a day later. NFL Media reported that the quarterback also tore the LCL in his knee, complicating his recovery.
But because Mahomes underwent surgery so soon after his injury, he has a chance to be back by the first week of the 2026 season, which is about nine months from now.
It remains to be seen whether Kelce will still be with the Chiefs by then. Kelce, 36, has publicly considered retirement, and Kansas City (6-8) could look a lot different next season after missing the playoffs this year.
LOTS TO LOVE
Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love has declared for the NFL draft, as expected.
He’s the top prospect on some draft boards and could be the latest star to buck recent position trends and get selected in the top 10.
As a junior this year, Love ran for 1,372 yards, scored 18 rushing touchdowns and totaled 21 touchdowns. He ranked in the top five among Division I players in all three categories.
Notre Dame did not make the College Football Playoff – much to its chagrin – and refused to participate in a non-postseason bowl game.
This means that Love’s illustrious career at Notre Dame has officially come to an end.
