-
Marcel Louis-Jacques
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is open to a “contemporary begin,” he instructed reporters Monday, after he was benched for the group’s last three video games of the season.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers after the group’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, saying the seventh-round decide gave Miami the very best likelihood to win.
Tagovailoa spent the remaining three video games because the group’s inactive emergency third quarterback. Talking after McDaniel’s choice on Dec. 17, Tagovailoa stated that he was “dissatisfied” however that the choice was out of his management. He additionally declined to touch upon whether or not he had performed his last sport for the Dolphins.
His tone shifted through the group’s locker room cleanout Monday, when requested whether or not he’d like a contemporary begin after the occasions of this season.
“That may be dope,” he said. “I might be good with it.”
McDaniel stated Monday there will likely be a quarterback competitors in 2026 and did not shut the door on Ewers beginning subsequent season.
McDaniel declined to invest on what led to Tagovailoa’s decline this season however stated he’ll meet with the quarterback early Tuesday to debate the season and the way they want to transfer ahead.
“I feel there’s so much on the plate of a franchise quarterback, and in the end I feel it is my job to attempt to enhance his play all the time,” he stated. “I do not wish to throw out a headline that’s shortsighted or shortchanges what number of layers there are to performing on the quarterback place. What I do know is, for the primary time, I assessed whether or not or not he must be the beginning quarterback on the group. That was on account of an lack of ability to get some issues achieved.
“Does that imply that is a ceaselessly factor for him when it comes to with the ability to execute stuff that he is executed up to now? No, it would not. To have his sport and the possession of his sport when it is at its top, that is one thing that we’ll talk about. He’ll have loads of ideas, and he’ll must work to get himself again to the place we’re all used to seeing. And I am going to do my finest in supporting that and the remainder we will see.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.1 million extension in July 2024, the richest contract in franchise historical past. However after lacking a career-high six video games in 2024 to hip and head accidents, he turned in a down season in 2025 earlier than dropping his job to Ewers.
He threw for two,660 yards and 20 touchdowns in opposition to a career-high 15 interceptions and recorded fewer than 200 passing yards eight occasions this season, after having achieved so solely six occasions in his three earlier seasons with McDaniel mixed.
Shifting on from Tagovailoa will likely be costly for Miami. He represents a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026, and chopping him earlier than June 1 would lead to a $99.2 million useless cap hit subsequent season. Releasing him after June 1 would unfold that useless cap hit throughout two seasons, with $67.2 million hitting in 2026.
The Dolphins might additionally look to commerce the NFL’s 2023 chief in passing yards however must discover a group prepared to tackle his wage.
If he has certainly performed his last snap for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa will go away because the franchise’s fourth-leading passer with 18,166 yards and 120 touchdowns. He would additionally end his time in Miami because the Dolphins’ profession chief in completion proportion amongst certified passers at 68%.
