Dolphins’ Brooks said he will play. And more Ewers/Tagovailoa news, fallout
NFL leading tackler Jordyn Brooks, who missed two practices this week because of foot and knee ailments that became issues during the Steelers game on Monday, said he felt “fine” during Friday’s practice and will play on Sunday against visiting Cincinnati (1 p.m., CBS 4).
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Brooks has had an All Pro caliber season; he has 155 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
The Dolphins listed him as questionable for the game.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf) is the one Dolphins player on the 53-man roster who was ruled out for the game; Weaver said rookies Dante Trader Jr. and Jason Marshall will replace him.
Besides Brooks, four other Dolphins are listed as questionable: safety Elijah Campbell (ankle/knee), cornerback Isaiah Johnson (knee), center Andrew Meyer (triceps) and kicker Jason Sanders (hip). Mike McDaniel said Friday morning that Meyer and Sanders are unlikely to be activated from injured reserve before Sunday’s game.
▪ Brooks was asked if team leaders, like himself, need to motivate players on a team that has been eliminated from playoff contention. Miami (6-8) was mathematically eliminated with Monday’s loss to Pittsburgh.
“It should come naturally, but as a leader that’s your job to do that, to help motivate where there is no motivation,” he said.
“That has been the challenge for me this week. And having to motivate myself, having to play through injuries and everything that has been going on. As a leader, that’s your job to help motivate everyone around you.”
Ewers fallout
Several Dolphins have been impressed with how new starting quarterback Quinn Ewers comports himself.
“He’s got a cool demeanor, a little swagger to himself,” Brooks said. “Let him do his thing. He doesn’t need a thousand people in his ear. Just let it rip.”
Receiver Dee Eskridge was among those particularly effusive about Ewers.
“For a young guy, he has a lot of poise to him, how he [carries] himself and really being that silent leader this team needs,” Eskridge said. ”He brings a lot to the table. He’s a great quarterback. Every box is checked when it comes to him. He showed a lot every time he had an opportunity in camp.”
McDaniel also praised how Ewers has looked this week.
There are still some doubters.
On draft night, ESPN’s Louis Riddick said: “I don’t ever see him being a starter in the NFL quite honestly. It never seemed like he was able to put any juice on it. The play style seemed so lethargic, like in the NFL they would eat him up if it wasn’t open for him immediately. A little Chad Penningtonesque, but Chad was an effective quarterback. [Ewers] didn’t do it for me.”
But NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks noted “how quickly he gets the ball out of his hands. That offense fits his skill set.”
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said in April that Ewers “has proven he can be a point guard. This is a very good fit for him. What he’s able to do is stand in the pocket, play on time, play in rhythm. That’s what Mike McDaniel wants.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. noted his “27-9 career record [at Texas].... He has the touch, can throw off platform, has toughness.“
▪ Right guard Cole Strange said offensive linemen have worked with Ewers this week to make sure they have a feel for his cadence before the ball is snapped.
“Just practicing with him, we have a pretty good feeling of how that will sound,” Strange said. “The longer we can play with him, the more secure we will be with that. There are nuances to each player -- how their cadence sounds, where they set up in the pocket. You try to block accordingly. It’s our responsibility to get to know how he does those things.”
Strange said Ewers “commands the huddle fine. He seems calm.”
Strange said McDaniel did not offer any lengthy explanation when he announced to the team that Ewers would start on Sunday. “He just said it and left,” Strange said.
Tagovailoa fallout
As for Tagovailoa, there was some empathy from teammates about his benching.
“One thing that guts me the most is it takes 11 to operate the offense and it takes 11 to complete a pass,” fullback Alec Ingold said.
“If your guy gets put in this situation, it reflects on the entire offense not being able to do what we preached since April. It’s not one person. A lot of focus is going to be put on him as a franchise quarterback, but we didn’t have a good year.”
▪ Members of the Dolphins’ 12-to-15 player leadership council, who have not been identified publicly, had no involvement in the quarterback change or discussions with McDaniel about it, Brooks said when asked about that.
The decision was made by McDaniel, which is how it should be done.
▪ Did injuries play a role in Tagovailoa’s regression this season?
“No,” said receiver Jaylen Waddle, whose time with Tagovailoa dates back to their Alabama days. “He’s capable of being top tier in this league. He showed it, he proved it before. This is just going to be a part of his story.”
Waddle said Tagovailoa has taken an active role in helping Ewers prepare for the game.
▪ No decision on Tagovailoa’s future can be made until owner Stephen Ross announces who will be the coach and general manager next season; McDaniel and interim GM Champ Kelly both remain in play for those jobs.
Three prominent insiders from ESPN and NFL Network said the Dolphins will likely move on from Tagovailoa. While a post-June 1 cut might be the most likely scenario, there cannot be a decision until a Dolphins 2026 hierarchy is in place.
As a reminder, Tagovailoa is guaranteed $54 million next season, whether he’s on the team or not. If Tagovailoa plays another snap for the Dolphins, Miami would need to guarantee $17 million of his 2027 salary if he’s injured and fails a physical when the Dolphins try to release him, per cap experts at CBS and overthecap.com.
Releasing Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation would increase his 2026 Dolphins cap hit from $56.4 million to $67.4 million. A post-June 1 trade would carry a much lower cap hit, but finding a team that wants him might be difficult. A pre-June 1 release isn’t sensible, because that would carry a $99.2 million dead money cap hit on the Dolphins’ 2026 books.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM.
