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The Miami Dolphins are expected to trade their quarterback
The Miami Dolphins enter an offseason filled with questions, but they have already answered some of them. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross made the decision to fire head coach Mike McDaniel and replace him with former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Additionally, Ross brought in Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman as a consultant to help the organization land a general manager. With his help, the team hired Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager.
Perhaps the biggest decision Sullivan has to make in his first year with the Dolphins is what to do with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins tied themselves to Tagovailoa prior to the 2024 season as they signed him to a four-year extension, instead of making the quarterback play on his fifth-year option. The extension is a move the Dolphins now regret as the team’s owner no longer wants Tagovailoa as the franchise’s starting quarterback.
However, due to a $56 million cap hit, the team must explore all possible options to see what they can do with him.
Miami Dolphins Expected To Trade Tua Tagovailoa
“I’d be surprised if Tua is in Miami.”
@rapsheet weighs in on the Dolphins quarterback situation this offseason.
Once the Miami Dolphins made the decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa after their Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the writing was on the wall that Tagovailoa’s time in Miami was coming to an end. Shortly after that happened, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the expectation was that Tagovailoa would not return to the Dolphins in 2026.
Now, Rapoport has once again commented on the situation. While on an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, Rapoport said of the Dolphins’ quarterback decision, “I would be surprised if Tua was in Miami. I think they could trade him, but they’re going to have to eat a lot of the contract to do it, which is OK. They’re paying it anyway, so might as well eat $30 million. What’s the difference?”
Rapoport added that due to Tagovailoa’s large salary, Miami would need to absorb a significant portion of the contract to facilitate a trade. This would not be the first time the Dolphins have taken this approach, as they agreed to absorb part of Ryan Tannehill’s contract to facilitate a trade with the Titans in 2019.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Options
After his poor performance in the 2025 season, it is difficult to envision teams viewing Tagovailoa as a clear-cut starter heading into next season. He would more likely profile as a high-end backup or a quarterback competing for a starting job during training camp. As evidenced by his 2022 and 2023 seasons, Tagovailoa is capable of success with the right scheme and talent around him.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Vikings plan to bring in a veteran to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. Head coach Kevin O’Connell runs a version of the Shanahan scheme in his offense, which Tagovailoa had success in. However, the Vikings staff includes former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores, who previously had a rocky relationship with Tagovailoa during their time together in Miami.
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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