The Dolphins demoted Tua Tagovailoa to the third-string spot on their depth chart this week, potentially signaling an end to the inconsistent passer’s six-year Miami tenure. As for the coach that pulled the trigger on this move, no change is anticipated.
Although the Dolphins lost to the Steelers and at the moment are eliminated from the playoffs, Mike McDaniel being allowed to make the Tagovailoa-for-Quinn Ewers switch could also be telling. The idea in Miami is that McDaniel will stay for a fifth season, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.
Prospective HC and GM candidates informed Jones their expectation is McDaniel can be retained and have a probability to spark a turnaround. One source told Jones a belief within the constructing is McDaniel was given a “tough hand” this yr, and in contrast to the since-ousted Chris Grier, the sideline leader can be given a probability to bounce back in 2026. This shouldn’t be the primary time we now have heard McDaniel was prone to be kept, but this coming after the Tua news actually carries more weight.
It could be tough to see McDaniel’s job being easier next yr, assuming he stays. If the team follows through with a Tagovailoa release, it will bring a staggering $99.2MM dead money hit. That dead cap number can be split between 2026 and ’27, continuing a line of pricey Dolphins post-June 1 moves, but will significantly hinder Miami’s roster-building capabilities no matter where the 2026 salary cap settles.
Only the Broncos have incurred a dead money hit north of $60MM, via their $84.6MM Russell Wilson release. The Dolphins have cut Byron Jones and Xavien Howard using the post-June 1 transaction (2023, 2024), they usually needed to attend until after June 1 this yr to trade Jalen Ramsey. Even in doing that, Ramsey set a defender record by accounting for $35.86MM in dead cap (spread between 2025 and ’26).
With Ramsey dead money at nearly $21MM next yr, having Tagovailoa’s seismic sum hit the cap will make for a difficult task as McDaniel and a to-be-determined GM try to get better. Tagovailoa played the lead on-field role within the Dolphins securing back-to-back playoff berths for the primary time since its 1997-2001 run of postseason appearances, but McDaniel appears set to outlast the QB in South Beach.
As we glance set to see loads of defense-based coaches generate HC interest on the upcoming carousel, keeping McDaniel is smart attributable to his offensive acumen. McDaniel played the lead role in turning Tagovailoa around, with Tyreek Hill being a slightly notable a part of that effort, and did memorably test the Bills — in a three-point wild-card loss — with third-stringer Skylar Thompson on the helm. It appears McDaniel can be given a probability to see if he can develop one other quarterback. It stays a mystery, barring a surprising Ewers stretch-run effort that convinces the Dolphins to face down on the position, who that player can be if Tua is indeed jettisoned.
No team can be willing to pay the total Tagovailoa freight in a trade, per Jones. If Miami is to maneuver on, it would must eat a large portion of the QB’s $54MM 2026 guarantee in a trade. If Tagovailoa is on the Dolphins’ roster by March 13, a $3MM 2027 guarantee vests as well. Any motion on the contract should naturally be expected before that date.
The prospect of McDaniel being paired with a brand new GM injects risk regarding timelines. Teams have begun to steer their operations toward HC-GM alignment lately, though the Bears are having success despite Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson arriving at different points. The Jaguars and Raiders fired their GMs (Trent Baalke, Tom Telesco) for alignment purposes. It can be interesting to see how the Dolphins’ GM search unfolds with the to-be-determined exec being tied to McDaniel.
It can be considered likely the Dolphins hire an outdoor GM, but Jones adds interim boss Champ Kelly will receive an interview. Kelly was near earning the Raiders’ GM job in 2024, only to be kept within the assistant GM role once Telesco was hired, and is respected across the league. Kelly interviewed for the Jags’ job this past offseason and met concerning the Panthers’ emptiness in 2024. He has been the Dolphins’ interim leader since Grier’s Halloween exit. Kelly oversaw the trade of Jaelan Phillips for a third-round pick; the veteran exec also kept Jaylen Waddle on the deadline, climbing up the Bills’ price attributable to their AFC East status.
The Dolphins are also considering splitting up their GM role in a way. They’ve given SVP of football and business administration Brandon Shore more responsibility post-Grier, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Each Breer and Jones point to a possible setup by which McDaniel, Shore and a GM report back to Stephen Ross, with Breer going so far as to say there may be a “good probability” this setup can be in place in Miami come 2026.
Serving because the Dolphins’ cap chief, Shore has been with the franchise for 16 years. He has been in his current role since 2021. Being a key a part of the Tagovailoa extension (4 years, $212.4MM) the team now appears taken with escaping, Shore making a move up the ladder after that development actually shows his sturdy organizational standing. Shore’s presence could well be a consider the Dolphins’ GM pursuit as well, should the Dolphins truly be taken with an arrangement by which two or three staffers report on to ownership.