MIKE MCDANIEL has sparked fears he could axe starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Miami Dolphins head coach saw his team fall to a crushing 33-8 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in the opening week of the NFL season.

Following the game, Tagovailoa was subjected to a swipe by Colts cornerback Xavien Howard after claiming the quarterback goes into "panic mode" if his first read is covered.

McDaniel, who has led the Dolphins since 2022, was asked about those comments.

And the 42-year-old gave a damning assessment of Tagovailoa, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft .

As quoted by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, he said: "I saw quarterback play that was less than to be desired, which Tua absolutely knows.

"He’s the franchise quarterback...

"I also know he

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