As the Miami Dolphins prepare for their first NFL game in Spain against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the pressure on coach Mike McDaniel continues to mount.
The Dolphins are 3-7 for the season and have already fired general manager Chris Grier after last week’s 28-6 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. McDaniel’s future is seemingly in the air amidst the team’s lost season.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shared his thoughts on the rumors surrounding the Miami HC. When Tagovailoa was asked if the Miami players were playing to keep McDaniel in the job, he said:
“You know, I understand the question. I know there’s a lot of talk outside about certain individuals, certain people. But I think more so with last week’s game, I think it shows the togetherness of our team.”
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
Tagovailoa said everyone is playing for each other are trying to their job in the best way.
“And I don’t think it’s anyone playing for themselves,” Tagovailoa said. “Then when he does his and you don’t do yours, I think that’s where things fall apart where we’ve got to play with conviction, we just continue to stick together, play together, and I don’t think anyone’s worried about any of that external noise when it comes to that.”
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shared player’s mentality amidst losing season
While Mike McDaniel has been under pressure after Chris Grier’s firing, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has also faced criticism for his underwhelming performances this season.
“When we play this game, we know what we sign up for,” Tagovailoa said. “And we know this is a business as well. We want to play for each other. We’re going to do everything we can — we don’t prepare to go out there and think, hey we want to do bad, we want to lose this game. No, we go out there with our hearts, with our minds for war — like that’s what it is, essentially. So, yeah.”
The Dolphins showed their fighting spirit after pulling off a 30-13 win against contenders Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins fans will hope they can continue the trend against the Commanders in Madrid.