After a 28-15 loss on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Miami Dolphins fell to 6-8, eliminating them from the playoffs.
Despite throwing for two late touchdowns near the end of the game, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggled, making the offense look like a mess for the majority of the game. With Tagovailoa’s struggles this season, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced that they were making a change, starting rookie Quinn Ewers in their Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
After being drafted with the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa has shown some promising signs as a quarterback. However, with injuries and his rough 2025 season, it looks like Tagovailoa’s tenure as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback may be nearing an end.
Tua Tagovailoa’s 2025 Struggles
After a 2024 season that saw Tagovailoa only play 11 games due to a concussion and a hip injury, Tagovailoa was set for a strong year this season, after showing some great flashes when healthy last season. Unfortunately, he struggled to come close to those expectations, leading the NFL with 15 interceptions this season. Despite having some games where he looked strong, Tagovailoa struggled badly in a lot of games.
Tagovailoa’s decision-making was what has cost him throughout the season, throwing countless interceptions on throws that were either read perfectly or right to a defender. Against the Steelers, Tagovailoa threw his 15th interception last week, underthrowing a pass to Jaylen Waddle right into the hands of Steelers defensive back Asante Samuel Jr. early in the first quarter.
Along with Tagovailoa’s turnover issues, another big issue this season is his decline in mobility. Even in games where the rushing yard totals did not show his mobility, in his first few seasons, Tagovailoa was able to avoid sacks and escape pressure to extend plays. This season, Tagovailoa has recorded a career high of 30 sacks, with some of the sacks being unable to extend the play as he used to.
Tagovailoa’s Salary Issue
After being benched, Miami has a tough decision on how to handle Tagovailoa’s future, either in Miami or not.
While the rumor going around is that Miami should cut Tagovailoa, the issue is his salary. After signing Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million extension, cutting him would force the team to eat the contract, meaning Tagovailoa would represent dead money in Miami’s salary cap.
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Another option Miami has is to look for a trade that can send Tagovailoa to a new team for a change of scenery. While there are teams in need of a quarterback, there are still some questions about whether teams would be interested in taking a shot on him based on his prior seasons, as well as his contract. With his extension kicking in, a team that may be interested in Tagovailoa could shy away from trading for him, not wanting to take on his contract.
Potential Landing Spots
Despite his struggles this season, Tagovailoa has proven to be a good quarterback in prior years. Tagovailoa was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and led the NFL in passing yards that season. Those prior seasons can be enough for a team in need of a quarterback to take a chance and hope that they can get that version of Tagovailoa.
Some of the potential landing spots for Tagovailoa are from teams that are still searching for a franchise quarterback. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals have been rumored as potential landing spots, as the Cardinals have shut down quarterback Kyler Murray and have been reportedly looking to move on from him. A trade swap sending both quarterbacks to a new team could benefit both sides.
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Along with teams that are weak at the quarterback position, a team with an old quarterback could look to try to acquire Tagovailoa in preparation for their future. Teams like the Rams with Matthew Stafford and the Steelers with Aaron Rodgers could be interested in acquiring Tagovailoa to help them stay competitive and avoid the time-consuming process of drafting one.
New Opportunities Opening
With it being likely that Miami is moving on from Tagovailoa in the offseason, whether through trade or not, Miami will be looking to fix that quarterback position. For Miami, Quinn Ewers has a chance to earn the trust of head coach Mike McDaniel and the rest of the Miami staff. If Ewers can play well, he can earn himself a shot at being the team’s starter in the 2026 season. If not Ewers, Miami can look to trade for a new quarterback or try to find a franchise player through the NFL Draft.
As for Tagovailoa, while his career in Miami is looking like it is over, there are still opportunities looming for the former top pick. There are plenty of landing spots for Tagovailoa where he can look to revive his career. A new system or a new scenery could be all it takes to help Tagovailoa find the success he found in his prior seasons in the NFL.
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