The Miami Dolphins opened the season in disappointing fashion, falling to the Indianapolis Colts 33-8 in Indianapolis.
Miami struggled across the board throughout the game, as both sides of the ball had issues on Sunday afternoon. As a result, the Dolphins were forced to go to their bench late in the game, sidelining Tua Tagovailoa in favor of backup Zach Wilson.
Tagovailoa in particular had a poor performance, producing several turnovers while the Dolphins offense labored to even move the ball. Head coach Mike McDaniel's decision to go to Wilson in the fourth quarter was proof of how Tagovailoa struggled on the day.
Here's a breakdown of why Miami benched Tagovailoa.
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Why did Dolphins bench Tua Tagovaloia?
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa couldn't get much going on the day, turning the ball over three times with two interceptions and a fumble. All of those turnovers came within in Miami's first four possessions of the game.
On Miami's first series of the game, with Indianapolis already up 3-0, Tagovailoa threw an interception to Cam Bynum in Colts territory. The turnover ended what looked like a promising Dolphins drive and set the tone for a long day.
Cam Bynum intercepts Tua and is back on his elite celly game 😭#MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/pU08FPXYJo
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
MORE: Will Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel after poor Week 1 showing?
The Colts took that turnover down the field for a long touchdown drive to take a 10-0 lead. That put the game in the second quarter when Tagovailoa fumbled on the Dolphins' second drive, as former Miami corner Xavien Howard recovered the ball in Dolphins territory.
Kenny Moore II strip sack! And Xavien Howard recovers against his former team#MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/N6FHZE1WlG
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
The third Dolphins' drive resulted in a punt, and the Colts had a 20-0 lead entering halftime. Miami got the ball to start the second half and needed a score to get back into the game, but Tagovailoa threw his second pick of the game, this time to Laiatu Latu in the same area of the field where he threw his first.
LATUUUUUUUUU
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 7, 2025
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/zm4leE91Fr
Overall, the Dolphins scored just once on the day, a late touchdown from Tagovailoa to De'Von Achane. Tagovailoa's three turnovers were crippling to Miami's chances to score on Sunday.
After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged Tagovailoa's issues but said he believes he will bounce back.
"It was something left to be desired," he said. "There’s throws he makes 9 times out of 10 and he didn’t make them today."
However, McDaniel did also put some blame on the offensive line for allowing "surprise pressures."
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Tua Tagovailoa stats vs. Colts
- Completions/Attempts: 14/23
- Passing yards: 114
- Touchdown: 1
- Interceptions: 2
- Fumbles: 1
- Passer rating: 51. 7
- Sacks: 3
Tagovailoa had a rough day in Week 1, producing just 114 passing yards while turning the ball over three different times. His only touchdown came late in the game, when the Colts were already up multiple scores and the outcome of the game was already decided.
Dolphins QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1. | Tua Tagovailoa |
| 2. | Zach Wilson |
| 3. | Quinn Ewers |
The Dolphins signed Zach Wilson as their backup quarterback this season, but he isn't much of a threat to take Tagovailoa's job full-time. They also drafted Quinn Ewers late in the 2025 NFL draft as their new third-stringer.