Why The Dolphins Need To Stop Starting Tua Tagovailoa

Let’s return a infinitesimal to in installments my workfellow Conor Orr for naming Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray arsenic imaginable waste and acquisition candidates to header adjacent year’s backmost carousel. 

Orr wrote that backmost successful August and it’s now go clear that Tagovailoa’s and Murray’s days could beryllium numbered pinch nan teams that drafted them.  

It would beryllium astonishing if 1 of those 2 quarterbacks is moved earlier nan Nov. 4 waste and acquisition deadline, but alien things person happened. There is simply a beardown possibility, however, that some suffer their starting jobs later this season. 

Let’s return a look astatine nan QB dilemmas for nan Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals successful this week’s NFL Fact aliases Fiction, on pinch immoderate different simmering topics astir nan league. 

Manzano’s view: Fact 

Perhaps nan only measurement Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel tin prevention his occupation is by permanently benching Tagovailoa, particularly if reports are existent of squad proprietor Stephen Ross preferring to support McDaniel for nan full season. 

McDaniel has various reasons to beryllium Tagovailoa aft he called retired his teammates and coaches publically and followed that pinch a three-interception stinker against nan struggling Browns during nan Dolphins’ embarrassing nonaccomplishment past week. Still, that wasn’t capable for McDaniel to chair him against nan Falcons for Sunday’s roadworthy game. 

Hopefully, for McDaniel’s occupation security, he has a scheme successful nan useful to soon spell distant from Tagovailoa, who has gotten worse since signing his four-year, $212.4 cardinal statement hold earlier nan 2024 season. Tagovailoa has a 7–11 grounds arsenic a starter going backmost to past year, and for this play he only has 11 touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions. 

McDaniel amazingly promoted rookie seventh-round prime Quinn Ewers arsenic nan backup backmost vs. nan Browns, moving him up of 2021 first-round prime Zach Wilson. That apt intends McDaniel has been impressed pinch Ewers successful practices and astir apt believes he tin shape a value crippled scheme astir nan Texas merchandise if he were to commencement a crippled later this season.

If McDaniel tin move Ewers into a value starter, possibly that’ll get Ross to judge nan 1–6 Dolphins’ issues are bigger connected nan QB broadside alternatively than pinch nan coaching. Then again, Ross mightiness beryllium reluctant to beryllium Tagovailoa because nan squad won’t person a viable way to get free of his statement until aft nan 2026 season. He’s owed a guaranteed $54 cardinal adjacent twelvemonth and location would beryllium a important headdress complaint if nan squad were to trim him earlier nan ’26 season.

But if McDaniel still has power complete his roster decisions, he needs to astatine slightest spell down swinging by rolling pinch a different backmost successful hopes of igniting nan offense. Who knows, possibly Tagovailoa benefits successful nan agelong tally by being forced to regain nan starting job. 

Cardinals should bring backmost Kyler Murray arsenic nan starting QB

Manzano’s view: Fiction 

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon could besides beryllium connected nan basking seat, but if he’s worried astir his occupation information he should support nan position quo and instrumentality pinch Jacoby Brissett moreover aft Murray is cleared from his ft wounded pursuing nan team’s bye week. Brissett has improved Arizona’s discourtesy successful various ways and has validated Gannon’s determination to instrumentality pinch Drew Petzing arsenic nan violative coordinator. 

In 2 games pinch Brissett, nan Cardinals person scored astatine slightest 23 points and produced much than 300 full yards. With Murray, nan Cardinals were held nether 300 full yards during nan first 4 games of nan play and scored much than 21 points only erstwhile successful 5 games. 

Jacoby Brissett has impressed for nan Cardinals successful spot of nan injured Kyler Murray. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yes, nan Cardinals (2–5) aren’t winning games pinch Brissett, but they mislaid by a mixed 8 points against nan Colts and Packers, 2 teams presently starring their respective conferences. This squad could person easy spiraled retired of power aft nan Week 5 meltdown against nan lowly Titans. But nan Cardinals proceed to conflict chiefly because of Brissett’s value performances. Tight extremity Trey McBride and galore different accomplishment players person thrived by playing pinch nan 32-year-old veteran. 

However, Gannon continues to publically support Murray arsenic nan team’s starting quarterback. That will apt beryllium Gannon’s downfall if nan discourtesy goes backmost to being stagnant pinch Murray arsenic nan starter. 

If Murray doesn’t move it around, nan squad should earnestly see placing him connected nan waste and acquisition marketplace successful nan offseason. He mightiness still person immoderate worth considering really good his 2019 draught mate Daniel Jones has played during his first play pinch nan Colts. Maybe a alteration of scenery could beryllium bully for Murray, who only has 1 playoff quality to his sanction and appears improbable to get different successful his seventh season. 

Manzano’s view: Fiction 

The only subordinate nan Raiders shouldn’t waste and acquisition is astir apt Brock Bowers, who’s a superstar erstwhile patient and is presently connected his rookie deal. 

Las Vegas is paying Crosby a batch of money to beryllium nan lone value subordinate connected a bad defense, but nan squad still decided to show him they person no intentions of trading him. The Raiders (1–6) request to extremity trying to spell for nan speedy hole route, for illustration acquiring Geno Smith successful nan outpouring and Davante Adams a fewer years back. This squad needs to waste and acquisition veterans and stockpile draught picks to ignite a rebuild. 

Crosby is already 28 and this franchise is not moreover adjacent to fielding a winning team. The prima separator rusher would apt nett astatine slightest 1 first-round prime successful a trade. After nan beating nan Silver and Black took against nan Chiefs, they request to beryllium superior sellers earlier nan Nov. 4 waste and acquisition deadline. 

The Falcons mislaid connected Sunday to a banged-up 49ers squad missing respective starters. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Falcons are nan astir inconsistent squad successful nan NFL

Manzano’s view: Fact 

The Falcons’ 2025 schedule results are a cleanable illustration of why nan NFL is considered a week-to-week league. 

One week nan Falcons are beating up connected nan Bills and nan pursuing week they can’t people against nan banged-up 49ers. One week nan Falcons are cruising against nan Vikings and nan adjacent week they’re getting blown retired successful Carolina. 

For a while, I thought nan Panthers (4–3) had nan slowest rebuild successful nan league, but that grant mightiness now beryllium to nan Falcons (3–3), who fell to 3rd spot successful nan NFC South aft nan head-scratching nonaccomplishment against a 49ers squad that played without Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and galore different cardinal starters. 

It doesn’t make consciousness for nan Falcons to beryllium this inconsistent pinch stud moving backmost Bijan Robinson and a defense that’s only allowing 265.2 yards per game, second-best successful nan league. Atlanta amended hurry up and find immoderate stableness because halfway groups get aged accelerated successful nan NFL. This squad doesn’t person overmuch to show for investing first-round picks successful Robinson, Michael Penix Jr., Drake London and Kyle Pitts successful nan past 4 years. Oh, and let’s not hide each of nan money they invested successful Kirk Cousins to beryllium a backup.

Perhaps nan Falcons get a get-right crippled against nan Dolphins this week, but nan schedule will get tougher pinch upcoming matchups against nan Patriots and Colts. Atlanta has nan talent to triumph each those games. The Falcons conscionable request much consistency, which is easier said than done for this franchise.