The Miami Dolphins are benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie seventh-round QB Quinn Ewers, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
The decision comes a day after Mike McDaniel teased a potential QB switch, and with Tagovailoa now on the bench, his future in Miami comes into question.
Tagovailoa's $212 million contract is going to be very tricky to move on from. The Dolphins will have to get creative, and it won't come easily, but they do have the ability to move on from Tagovailoa in the coming years.
Here's how they can do so.
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How Dolphins can move on from Tua Tagovailoa's $212 million contract after benching
For starters, Tagovailoa is under contract through the 2029 season on his $212 million contract. This big-money extension is mainly front-loaded and gives the Dolphins an out after the 2026 season.
The issue for Miami is that in 2026, it will have to carry Tagovailoa on the roster for $54 million guaranteed next season.
That is, unless it finds a way to move on from him before next season.
Cutting Tagovailoa before June 1st would be an abject disaster for the Dolphins, as they'd be on the hook for $99 million in dead cap space. But with $3 million of his 2027 salary becoming guaranteed on March 15, the Dolphins are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If they decide to designate him as a post-June 1 cut, then their 2026 dead cap hit would be $67.4 million, and in 2027 it would fall to $31.8 million.
Releasing Tagovailoa might not be the best decision, but just like how the Denver Broncos cut Russell Wilson, it might be a move Miami is forced to make this offseason.
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The ideal scenario would be the Dolphins finding a trade partner. Their dead cap hit would be only $45.2 million in 2026 if they trade him. The only issue? No team is likely to want to trade for Tagovailoa.
The only path forward with a trade would be to replicate the old Houston Texans-Cleveland Browns trade involving Brock Osweiler. The Texans sent Osweiler and a draft pick to the Browns to get off his massive contract.
There might be a team in the NFL willing to accept a draft pick and Tagovailoa's massive contract this offseason. Finding a suitor won't be easy, especially since most teams won't want to deal with Tagovailoa's contract even when given a draft pick in exchange.
With the Dolphins benching Tagovailoa for Ewers, the lefty quarterback's future in Miami is very much in question.
The Dolphins could cut or trade the veteran QB, but no matter how they manage a decision, it's going to come with tens of millions in dead cap.
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- Updated chances for Miami to make 2025 NFL postseason after Week 15 loss to Steelers
- Dolphins gave up on their playoff chances with head-scratching 4th quarter vs. Steelers