Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

One of the bigger rumors going around the NFL right now surrounds the Miami Dolphins and the future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Many around the league expect Miami to move off Tagovailoa this offseason, either by trade or with the team waiving him entirely.

After multiple years of the team struggling, the Dolphins seem ready for change, especially with new head coach Jeff Hafley coming into the mix. However, trading Tagovailoa could be much tougher than it meets the eye for the Dolphins, mainly due to his contract situation going forward.

The veteran signal-caller is entering the third year of a 4-year, $212.4 million contract extension, and any team landing him in a deal will need to take this on. But after 2026, Miami can get out of the contract with just a $34.8 million dead cap hit, but this offseason, that number sits at $99.2 million.

Waiving Tagovailoa doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Dolphins, but if they can find a trade partner, this may be the route to take. Multiple teams have been linked to the former first-round draft pick this offseason, and it could see Miami move off him.

But how this all plays out remains to be seen, with the Dolphins potentially needing to attach some draft capital to get a team to take his contract. Miami is expected to be very active this offseason, with the future of Tagovailoa being at the center of it all.

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If Tagovailoa is traded this offseason, one team that could make some sense is the Los Angeles Rams. For the Rams, adding a talent like Tagovailoa could be a buy-low move, and he could be given a chance to back up Matthew Stafford.

Stafford has already said that he will be returning to the Rams for next season, but the backup quarterback position remains unsettled. Rams backup Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent, and it seems like Los Angeles may want a more future-oriented backup going forward.

For Tagovailoa, he would have a chance to learn from Stafford and head coach Sean McVay, who is seen as a quarterback whisperer around the league.  Stafford isn’t expected to play beyond next season, so the Rams do need to start thinking about who will be under center down the line.

Since Tagovailoa isn’t expected to be a starter in the league next season, the Rams do feel like a solid landing spot. The veteran could learn the system and then potentially become the Los Angeles starter for the 2027 season after Stafford likely retires.

Having a chance to learn under this system could give Tagovailoa the confidence that he needs, and we could see him fully show out after a year of being a backup. Tagovailoa has plenty of talent, and there have been moments where he has proven himself, but consistency has been an issue over the course of his NFL career.

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