Dolphins bench Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers

Everything was on the table. And the table inevitably has turned.

The Dolphins have benched veteran quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, per multiple reports. He’ll be replaced by seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers.

The team will inevitably make it official soon enough, since Wednesday features the first full practice of the week — along with press conferences from the head coach and the starting quarterback.

It’s no surprise, even though it’s a little jarring to see one of the highest-paid players in football ($53.1 million per year) get sent to the bench. The performance was not good enough. Not even close. It was time to stop doubling down and to do the right thing, for the present and the future.

The move raises plenty of questions for the immediate future. We addressed several of them during Wednesday’s PFT Live. It will be a major topic until the Dolphins decide what to do with Tua for 2026.

For now, what they’re doing it taking the football out of his hands. And they’re going to find out whether Ewers can become a low-cost alternative for next season, and perhaps beyond.