The Miami Dolphins have decided that Tua Tagovailoa will no longer continue with the team for the 2026 season. The information was confirmed by a report from Adam Schefter after Quinn Ewers was named starting quarterback.
“The Miami Dolphins moved on from Tagovailoa this week and are prepared to move on from him this offseason, according to league sources. The only question is how.”
Tagovailoa had another poor performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which led to him losing his job as QB1. Now, his future with the Dolphins seems sealed, and there is great uncertainty about what will happen with his NFL career.
Will Dolphins trade Tua Tagovailoa?
The Miami Dolphins could try to trade Tua Tagovailoa since he is no longer in their plans. However, the big problem will be which team is willing to take on part of his salary in a hypothetical move and whether there is genuine interest in the quarterback around the league.
Can the Dolphins release Tua Tagovailoa?
Yes. The Dolphins can release Tua Tagovailoa, but that decision will have a huge impact on the salary cap due to dead money. It’s a situation similar to what happened with Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Schefter explains all the financial implications of this option.
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NFL News: Tua Tagovailoa trade rumors grow after surprising Dolphins report
“Miami already owes Tagovailoa $54 million guaranteed in 2026; another $3 million of his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed on March 15, meaning the Dolphins would like to decide the most effective way of separating from the quarterback before that date. Cutting Tagovailoa would leave a $99 million dead money salary cap charge, the largest in NFL history. Designating Tagovailoa as a post June 1 cut would spread out the money and make it count for $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027.”
