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Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross no longer wants Tua Tagovailoa as his quarterback
The Miami Dolphins have been linked to Tua Tagovailoa since before he entered the NFL. In the 2019 season, the motto fans adopted was “Tank for Tua” as the team traded away its major assets in the hopes of landing a franchise quarterback. Ultimately, the team ended up with the No. 5 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. While they tried to trade with the Cincinnati Bengals in hopes of landing Joe Burrow, the team ended up selecting Tua Tagovailoa fresh off his hip injury that ended his college football career.
The Tua Tagovailoa experience in Miami has been a mixed bag. After a rocky relationship with head coach Brian Flores, the team fired Flores after the 2021 season despite winning eight of his last nine games. The team approached their 2022 head coaching search looking for someone who could maximize Tagovailoa’s abilities, which led them to Mike McDaniel. With McDaniel, Tagovailoa thrived as he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2023 and led the NFL in passing yards. His performance that season led the Dolphins to sign him to a four-year $212 million deal.
However, things went downhill for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins after his contract extension. The Dolphins’ offense took a step back in 2024, and Tagovailoa dealt with injuries that forced him to miss six games. Things did not improve in 2025 as Tagovailoa posted the worst numbers of his career which led to his benching.
Dolphins Owner Makes Decision on Tua Tagovailoa
Now, the Dolphins have a decision to make on Tagovailoa’s future. With head coach Mike McDaniel now gone, the partnership that thrived for two seasons has ended. Tagovailoa is still a member of the Dolphins and he is set to carry a $56 million cap hit in 2026. Due to his guaranteed money, he would set a record for dead money if he were to be released by the Dolphins.
Ultimately, the man in charge of the final decision is owner Stephen Ross. Miami Herald writer Omar Kelly revealed on The Dolphins Collective that Ross has already made up his mind on the quarterback as he no longer wants Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback of his franchise. Whether that means Tagovailoa will be traded or released remains to be seen. Ultimately, the team could opt to have him as a backup, but that likely would present issues if Tagovailoa were to play well in training camp and the preseason.
Future Miami Dolphins Quarterback
New head coach Jeff Hafley revealed that the team has plans in place for what they will do with the quarterback position. The popular name that has been mentioned as a possibility is Packers backup Malik Willis. NFL insider Simon Clancy called Malik Willis to the Dolphins an “extremely likely situation.”
Willis is a former third-round draft pick with the Titans who failed to live up to his status as a prospect, as he was traded for a late-round pick after two seasons. In two years with the Packers, Willis displayed the tools that led him to be drafted in the top three rounds. The Dolphins are familiar with Willis as Jeff Hafley was the Packers defensive coordinator these past two seasons, and worked with Willis while he was the scout team quarterback. Meanwhile, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan served as the Packers vice president of player personnel, and was part of the Packers front office when they traded for Willis.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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