Dolphins make final decision on Tua Tagovailoa’s future

Tua Tagovailoa’s tenure with the Miami Dolphins reached its peak in 2023. They had one of the most explosive offenses in the league with Tyreek Hill forming a terrific duo with the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback.

Ever since that season, things have gone downhill for the team and the quarterback. Former head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa late in the 2025 season, starting rookie Quinn Ewers over the veteran. With McDaniel out and Jeff Hafley settled in as the new head coach, the Dolphins have made a decision regarding Tagovailoa’s future.

NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on NFL GameDay Morning on Sunday that the new Dolphins’ management will move on from the 27-year-old quarterback. They will either trade or cut him this offseason.

What options the Dolphins have to move on from Tua Tagovailoa?

How the team will proceed will be decided before the start of the new league year. Trading him would mean the Dolphins would likely have to eat a big part of his $54 million fully guaranteed salary for 2026. They would also have $45.2 million dead cap charge on the books this year.

On the other hand, cutting Tua Tagovailoa would allow the Dolphins to spread the number across the next two years.

The player showed his willingness to move on after his benching. A fresh star could be the best that could happen to his career, but it remains to be seen how the Dolphins proceed about it. He has been linked with the New York Jets, but that is just speculation at this point.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

NFL: Ranking the greatest Super Bowl quarterback performances

NBA: Former NBA champion Anthony Davis dealt in blockbuster trade

OLYMPICS: Mikaela Shiffrin has 4-word message for Snoop Dogg two days before Winter Games

SPORTS MEDIA: 9 MLB teams abandoning FanDuel Sports Network immediately

ENTERTAINMENT: Police deny viral claim about suspect in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother

VIRAL: WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella clears air on Cooper DeJean dating rumors

The post Dolphins make final decision on Tua Tagovailoa’s future appeared first on The Big Lead.