There are no shortage of reasons for why the Miami Dolphins are in big trouble, both for this season and the long haul.
Miami is off to an 0-3 start and the team has more players-only meetings (one) than wins (zero) — and this is happening one season after the Dolphins missed the playoffs in 2024 following two straight one-and-done postseason appearances.
Out of all the issues the Dolphins have, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon believes the $212 million commitment Miami has with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the biggest.
Based on their current trajectory and mounting injuries, the Dolphins may need to consider a rebuild. Dramatic moves, such as trading assets before the deadline or making coaching changes, could come under discussion if results don't improve
But that isn't easy to do when you have a quarterback who can't click with a superstar receiver, often can't stay healthy and almost never rises to big occasions but is owed $149 million over the course of the next three years.
Outlook: Don't be surprised if the Dolphins start the fire sale soon. But Tyreek Hill might not be movable, and it's hard to imagine them starting over with anyone other than Tua Tagovailoa under center.
While Tagovailoa once looked like the long-term solution in Miami, things have changed drastically since then thanks to Tua not playing well and being unable to get Miami over the hump to at least a playoff win.
Even if the Dolphins want to completely blow it up and rebuild, they are stuck with Tua for the next few years thanks to his enormous contract that will have massive dead-cap hits.
The trade market doesn't figure to be strong for Tua, either, thanks to his contract, lackluster play and history of concussions. It would take a desperate situation for any team to trade for him.
The Tua situation should not prevent the Dolphins from looking for their next franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft, though.
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