Joining Trevor Lawrence as a summer 2024 extension recipient yet to justify his contract, Tua Tagovailoa has passed through an up-and-down stretch for the reason that ink dried on his megadeal. The high-priced Dolphins quarterback stays in place because the team’s starter, but rumors about his future have created some uncertainty.
Rumblings in regards to the southpaw being benched surfaced after GM Chris Grier‘s exit, and that report indicated uncertainty about whether the polarizing quarterback could be back in Miami for 2026. The guarantees the Dolphins authorized within the July 2024 deal may make sure the former top-five pick receives another probability.
Tagovailoa “doesn’t have one of the best fame across the league,” per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who points to the Dolphins needing to pay down a big amount of the QB’s 2026 compensation to facilitate a viable trade. Two anonymous personnel staffers point to Tagovailoa receiving another probability in Miami, via Jones, with one noting Mike McDaniel remaining in place would give the QB a greater shot to stay around.
Like Lawrence, Tagovailoa’s 2026 compensation is fully guaranteed. The Dolphins owe him $54MM next 12 months, complicating a deal. That payment got here after back-to-back seasons with Tua ending in the highest five in passer rating and top 10 in QBR. Concussion issues marred Tagovailoa’s breakout 2022 slate and resurfaced soon after he signed his four-year, $212.4MM extension. The Dolphins losing Tyreek Hill to a severe knee injury hurt their offense this season, and Tagovailoa ranks twenty fourth in QBR.
Tua also took heat for criticizing teammates for meeting attendance this season, and although the QB apologized for making that public, Jones notes that contributed to his perception across the NFL. The Dolphins responded to Grier’s firing with a convincing win over the Bills, buying McDaniel more time. They’ve cleaned house within the front office, nevertheless, moving on from two top Grier lieutenants (in co-player personnel directors Adam Engroff and Anthony Hunt). This further muddies the situation for the McDaniel-Tagovailoa partnership, though the QB’s injury history and perception inside the league would limit his trade value.
Some QB-needy teams would undoubtedly look into Tagovailoa attributable to the sample quality play when healthy under McDaniel, but his series of concussions and struggles over the past two seasons would complicate a trade. If the Dolphins do retain the 2020 draftee in 2026 and fire McDaniel, some candidates could definitely express hesitation in regards to the job.
Stephen Ross keeping McDaniel for one more season might be contingent on a powerful finish, however it would also mean tying the Grier hire to a different GM. As we discussed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office post, incongruent timelines for HCs and GMs have proven to be a shaky recipe in recent times. But a 2027 Tua separation could be easier for Miami. No guaranteed money is in place for the Alabama alum beyond 2026, and the Dolphins would tackle a comparatively manageable $31.8MM dead money hit with a 2027 trade or release.
Tagovailoa became the centerpiece of Grier’s rebuild, and the Dolphins have enjoyed some success during his tenure. McDaniel oversaw the primary instance of back-to-back playoff berths for the franchise for the reason that team made five straight berths from 1997-2001. However the team has hit a wall. It stays uncertain if McDaniel can do anything to avoid wasting his job this season, though the Buffalo upset moving the team to 3-7 assuredly helped the talented play-caller’s cause.