It felt like the Dolphins' 2025 season was on the line entering Week 7. Miami entered Sunday’s contest against the Browns sitting at 1-5 and having suffered through a week's worth of discourse after Tua Tagovailoa called out his teammates for being late to meetings following their Week 6 loss to the Chargers. Things went from bad to worse in Cleveland.
Tagovailoa played horrifically against the Browns despite the Dolphins needing a win like no other. He threw a trio of interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown and another that gave the Browns the ball at the 1-yard line. Miami didn't manage a touchdown, and wound up down 31-6 to Cleveland in the fourth quarter.
It resulted in Mike McDaniel pulling the plug. With eight minutes to go in the game, Tagovailoa was benched in favor of Quinn Ewers—a once-hyped QB prospect whose college struggles resulted in his seventh-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft.
IT'S QUINN EWERS TIME pic.twitter.com/OT5o6XluJI
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025
This moment could very well mark the end of the Tagovailoa era in Miami. Along with his coach, Tagovailoa has been under fire all season for his poor performances. The Dolphins will drop to 1-6 on the season after this loss to the Browns, who are not exactly having a great season in their own right.
To add insult to injury for the dozens of Dolphins fans still watching the game, Ewers's first drive was a mess. He nearly threw a pick on his first play, completed a pass for -1 yards on the second, and fumbled the snap on the third. Not exactly an auspicious sequence for a player who might end up called into service again this season if Tagovailoa's struggles continue.
A brutal day for the Dolphins through every lens.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dolphins Bench Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers Amidst Horrific Performance vs. Browns.
