MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched in December, would support an off-season move to another team, he told reporters Monday.
The Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in 2024. This season marked the first year of new money from that agreement.
Tagovailoa’s hefty price tag, paired with injury history — including three concussions in with the Dolphins — and his recent weak performance, could prove to be challenging if the Dolphins want to find a trade partner. Releasing Tagovailoa before June 1 would result in a dead cap hit of $99.2 million for the Dolphins.
But despite that gloomy outlook, the Dolphins’ quarterback could attempt to revive his career in a different uniform.
“That would be dope,” Tagovailoa said at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. “I would be good with it.”
Tagovailoa, 27, completed 67.7% of his throws for 2,660 yards, 20 scores and 15 interceptions over 14 starts this year before he was benched.
He completed a league-best 72.9% of his throws for 2,967 yards, 19 scores and seven interceptions over 11 starts in 2024. Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 yards in 2023 and a 105.5 passer rating in 2022.
But Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, who was credited with helping the quarterback to get his lucrative extension, cooled on his support of Tagovailoa in recent months, leading to his benching and uncertain future with the franchise that took him No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Tagovailoa was relegated to emergency third-string quarterback duties, behind new starter Quinn Ewers and backup Zach Wilson over the final three weeks of the season.
McDaniel has cited Ewers giving the Dolphins a “better chance to win” and lauded his conviction when asked about his decision to bench Tagovailoa. The fifth-year head coach said Ewers “continues to grow,” but has not committed to him as the Dolphins’ starter beyond 2025-26.
“I think it’s awesome in this profession when you believe in people and they take advantage of the opportunity,” McDaniel said after Ewers’ first win, 20-17, over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 28.
The Dolphins (7-10) earned the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they could select a quarterback. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, a Miami native, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are among the top prospects in the class.
Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco and Tyrod Taylor are expected to be among the veteran free agent quarterbacks this off-season.
The Dolphins’ attempt to solve the quarterback issue could be slightly stalled, as they continue to search for a permanent replacement for former general manager Chris Grier, who was fired in October.
They recently brought in Monday Night Football commentator and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman to assist in their general manager search.
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