Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins were greeted with a chorus of boos during their Week 8 clash with the Baltimore Ravens.
The veteran signal-caller has seen his performances atrophy in recent weeks. Interceptions are a common occurrence. So too are misplaced passes. And although Tagovailoa can find his targets on occasion, his lackluster displays have cost Miami throughout the campaign.
Thursday was no exception. Tagovailoa isn't the sole reason why the Dolphins lost to the Ravens. But he wasn't the antidote, either, falling victim to the same issues that have plagued his season thus far.
With Miami's record growing more harrowing by the week, all eyes are fixed on the Alabama alum to see if he'll lose his place in the starting lineup.
Here's what you need to know.
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Will the Dolphins bench Tua Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa looks unlikely to retain his place under center for much longer in Vice City. Thursday's game offered the 27-year old an opportunity to clean up against a Ravens defense that has struggled throughout the 2025 campaign.
Instead, Tagovailoa endured another limp outing. He completed 25-of-40 passes for 261 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception, failing to test a Baltimore defense ripe for the picking.
"It's one of those where you wish you could've done more or whatever you could to help the guys go out there and execute the way we wanted to execute out there," Tagovailoa said postgame.
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Caught in a barrage of misplaced passes and boos and jeers, Tagovailoa looked worse for the wear. With Mike McDaniel looking unlikely to retain his job for much longer, Tagovailoa appears on the outs.
When asked whether he's worried about McDaniel and the future amid Tuesday's trade deadline, Tagovailoa was non-commital.
"That's above my pay-grade," Tagovailoa said. "I let those guys upstairs worry about that and do what they need to do in terms of how we're working things with the team."
League leaders in interceptions 2025
| Rank | Player | Team | Interceptions |
| 1 | Tua Tagovailoa | Dolphins | 11 |
| 2 | Geno Smith | Raiders | 10 |
| 3 | Jake Browning | Bengals | 8 |
| 4 | Justin Herbert | Chargers | 7 |
| 5 | Cam Ward | Titans | 6 |
| Joe Flacco | Browns/Bengals | 6 | |
| 7 | Carson Wentz | Vikings | 5 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jaguars | 5 | |
| CJ Stroud | Texans | 5 | |
| Spencer Rattler | Saints | 5 | |
| Dak Prescott | Cowboys | 5 | |
| Bryce Young | Panthers | 5 | |
| Mac Jones | 49ers | 5 | |
| Aaron Rodgers | Steelers | 5 | |
| Bo Nix | Broncos | 5 |
When could Tua Tagovailoa be benched?
The Dolphins face the the Buffalo Bills next week. It seems unlikely that they'll claim a win against their hulking opposition. On one hand, the Bills' dominance could lend itself to McDaniel making a change. It's hard to justify keeping a hurler in if they toss multiple interceptions. A matchup with the Washington Commanders in Madrid looms on the horizon, another game that — at least at first glance — doesn't appear to be an inviting contest for the Dolphins.
Following that game, Miami will be on bye. That could prove an ideal period for the franchise to part ways with McDaniels. If he exits stage left, that could precede a change under center for the interim coach, particularly if it's Anthony Weaver, who has expressed dismay with some aspects of Tagovailoa's game in the past.