Miami Dolphins crisis deepens as Mike McDaniel slams 'misguided' Tua Tagovailoa for post-game rant

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has sensationally called out his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for criticizing teammates after Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dolphins slumped to 1-5 with the late loss to Jim Harbaugh's side and after the game, Tagovailoa tore into his teammates, saying players were disorganized and skipping meetings.

'We have guys showing up to players-only meetings late, guys not showing up to player-only meetings,' a visibly frustrated Tagovailoa said. 'There's a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make this mandatory? Do we not have to make this mandatory?

'It's a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that.'

McDaniel initially defended his quarterback on Sunday but after having time to consider the impact of his words, he has now distanced himself from Tagovailoa's actions.

'I think regardless of intent and what was on Tua’s mind, after a loss as the franchise quarterback, that’s not the forum to displace that,' McDaniel said on Monday. 'I think he knows that now. 

'I do honestly believe there was no ill intention, but you’re talking about kind of a misguided representation of player-orchestrated film sessions. 

'You’re trying to look for reasons you can attribute to losses, and heavy is the crown of being a franchise quarterback.'

McDaniel continued: 'What I do know is he’s directly communicated with a lot of guys starting with last night, and that’s what teammates do and you live and you learn. 

'Ultimately, I look at it like everything else. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. Accountability and our team’s performance lies squarely on my shoulders.'

While pressure intensifies on Daniel, the first firing of the 2025 NFL season happened in Tennessee, with Brian Callahan dismissesd from the winless Titans on Monday.

But many anticipate that if the Dolphins don't kickstart their performances soon, McDaniel could also be out of work.

Sunday could be vital for the team's future. They meet another 1-5 opponent in the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field, were pressure is also growing on Kevin Stefanski.

Tagovailoa, meanwhile, has seen a backlash from other corners for calling out his team on Sunday.

DaeSean Hamilton, who was briefly a member of the Dolphins in 2022, appeared to call the quarterback a hypocrite for his post-game outburst.

He said on X: 'This dude…the starting QB…was late to the first team meeting during my 3 seconds on the Dolphins.'

Stephen A. Smith, meanwhile, told the Dolphins they should fire McDaniel in response to the latest loss as he reviewed the weekend's action on First Take. 

'Mike McDaniel needs to go,' Smith said. 'The coach of the Miami Dolphins needs to go, needs to be gone as the head coach of the franchise. 

'He's not a leader of men. That's what this comes down to.'