The Miami Dolphins opened the preseason Sunday with a 24-24 tie against the Chicago Bears, and starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa opened the game by playing the first series for the visitors at Soldier Field.
Tua said playing the preseason opener had nothing to do with Friday’s practice.
“That was boss man’s decision,” Tua said, referring to coach Mike McDaniel. https://t.co/O2BN4DxRAf
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 10, 2025
Tagovailoa completed 5 of 6 passes for 27 yards. After that series, he gave way to backup Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers. Wilson completed 5 of 9 passes for 96 yards and led two second quarter touchdown drives.
Ewers struggled a bit with his accuracy as he completed 5 of 18 passes for 91 yards and he led a fourth quarter TD drive. He also played a key role in the drive that allowed the Dolphins to score the tying field goal.
After the game, Tagovailoa said that the decision to start in the game was not the result of a poor practice session two days earlier against the Bears. He explained that he and his teammates need game experience in order to go into the regular season with confidence and good timing.
“I would say it’s important for any of the starters — including me — to get playing time before the actual season starts,” Tagovailoa said. “For me, it wasn’t any more important to be out there or less important. We just need to get those game-like reps and get the timing down. We work on the noise, the focus and every aspect of our game. I thought that was really good because it forced us to communicate more and in the huddle we got to work on clock management.”
Dolphins concerned with QB play beyond Tagovailoa
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Head coach Mike McDaniel can feel confident every time Tagovailoa is under center for the Dolphins. He is one of the most accurate passers in the NFL, and as long as he is healthy and in the lineup, the Dolphins have a chance to put enough points on the board and come away with the victory.
However, Tagovailoa has had a series of key injuries throughout his career. He missed six of the Dolphins games last year after sustaining a concussion in Week 2. He played all 17 games in 2023, but that’s the only season in his five-year career that he was able to maintain his spot in the lineup every week.
If Tagovailoa is forced to miss time in 2025, it could be a major problem for McDaniel. Wilson has a poor track record and while he has size, strength and skill, he has not demonstrated that he can win on a consistent basis. Ewers is an untested rookie who was selected out of Texas in the seventh round.
While the Longhorns have a similar offense to the Dolphins, it does not seem likely that he would be able to run the Miami offense successfully if he was forced into the lineup.
The post Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa denies bad practice vs. Bears influenced preseason decision appeared first on ClutchPoints.
