Tua Tagovailoa wants a new start, but what NFL team would be willing to take on the Dolphins QB’s salary?

Tua Tagovailoa didn’t say he wants out of Miami. But he didn’t say he didn’t want out either. After spending the final three games of the 2025 season benched and inactive, the Dolphins quarterback acknowledged Monday that he would welcome a fresh start, even if that means one with a new team.

“That would be dope,” Tagovailoa said. “I would be good with it.”

The bigger question now isn’t whether Tua might want a change...it’s whether any NFL team could realistically afford one.

How Tua’s Dolphins tenure reached this point

Tagovailoa’s season, and honestly his career in Miami, unraveled rather quickly. After a Week 15 loss to the Steelers, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, saying the seventh-round pick gave the team the best chance to win. Tua didn’t start again, serving as the emergency third quarterback for the rest of the year.

At the time, Tagovailoa called the decision “disappointing” but avoided speculating about his future. However, the tone shifted after the conclusion of regular season, when he confirmed to the Miami Herald that a “fresh start” would mean playing elsewhere, though he stopped short of requesting a trade.

McDaniel, meanwhile, said Monday that Miami will hold a quarterback competition in 2026 and declined to commit to Tagovailoa as the starter.

“For the first time, I assessed whether or not he should be the starting quarterback on the team,” McDaniel said, citing an inability to execute certain aspects of the offense.

Tua’s contract complicates things

Any discussion about Tagovailoa’s future has to start with his contract. In July 2024, he signed a four-year, $212.1 million extension, the richest deal in Dolphins history. That deal now affects every possible outcome.

Here’s the financial reality:

• 2026 cap hit: $56.4 million
• Cut before June 1: $99.2 million dead cap
• Cut after June 1: $67.2 million dead cap in 2026, with the rest pushed to 2027

In other words, releasing Tagovailoa outright would be financially devastating for Miami. A trade is theoretically cleaner, but it would require another team to absorb a massive salary for a quarterback coming off his worst season under McDaniel.

From a performance standpoint, 2025 was a clear step backward. Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions. He failed to reach 200 passing yards in eight games, something that had only happened six times total across his previous three seasons combined.

Injuries again played a role. He missed six games in 2024 with hip and head injuries, and while he stayed on the field more often in 2025, his efficiency took a major hit. That combination narrows the list of interested teams significantly.

Any potential suitor would need:

• Cap flexibility
• A clear need at quarterback
• Belief they can revive Tagovailoa’s performance
• Willingness to structure or renegotiate parts of the deal

Yeah...it’s asking a lot.

So… Who would consider it?

This wouldn’t be a bidding war. If Tagovailoa is moved, it would likely involve:

• A team with cap space and limited QB options
• The Dolphins absorbing some salary to facilitate the deal
• A change-of-scenery gamble rather than a franchise-altering acquisition

The Dolphins still control the situation, and McDaniel has left the door open to Tua competing for the job. But the public acknowledgment that a fresh start would be “dope” signals that the relationship may already be fractured.

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