Examining Two Latest Eye-Opening Reports Involving Tua

What's going to happen with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains one of the biggest topics around the NFL these days, and it likely will remain that way until the start of the new league year March 11.

And until his situation his resolved, either by getting released or traded or with the Dolphins simply deciding to keep him on their roster, there will continue to be speculation and reports about possible outcomes.

There were more of those Wednesday, and they included a couple of doozies worth analyzing.

THE COST OF A TUA TRADE

The Dolphins, as has been reported and should have been obvious from the start, would prefer being able to trade Tagovailoa to soften as much as possible the cap hit they'll have to take as the result of that ill-fated contract extension of 2024 with the clear caveat that finding a trade partner will be next to impossible.

All along, the feeling was that the Dolphins would have to include sweetener to entice a team to trade for Tua, and CBS' Jonathan Jones reported this gem.

"One high-ranking team executive told CBS Sports he had considered taking on Tagovailoa if the Dolphins would send a first-round pick to take on the freight of his contract," Jones wrote. "It is the type of deal the NFL frowns upon and something that has only been done at that level with Brock Osweiler. The odds have been overwhelmingly in favor of the Dolphins exercising Tagovailoa's 2026 option at some point 10 days after the start of the league year and then releasing him as a post-June 1 designation. That will spread the $99 million dead cap hit over two seasons and make Tagovailoa free to sign somewhere on the veteran minimum."

If the Dolphins somehow were able to not have to absorb that entire $99 million cap hit, it would be a major bonus and maybe it would be worth something like a third-round pick, considering Miami has three of those in 2026.

But a first-round pick?

That's a bridge too far.

This is a rebuilding organization that need to replenish its supply of talented cheap labor, and giving away first-round picks isn't the way to go about it.

Then again, that other teams would want that kind of prize to taking on Tua's contract isn't shocking.

It's also why being able to consummate a trade always felt like a long shot.

TUA GOING TO THE JETS?

The likelihood remains that the Dolphins will release Tua with that post-June 1 designation, which will make him a free agent available to sign with another team at any time after that (the post-June 1 designation is for bookkeeping purposes only), and he likely will get the veteran minimum of $1.3 million because Miami will be paying him his guaranteed $54 million 2026 contract.

This means that financial considerations no longer will come into play for teams wanting to add Tagovailoa, and it obviously opens up the field.

All along, the logical destinations for Tua post-Miami have included the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, all teams that play indoors or in warm weather.

Lately, though, we've seen a couple of national media suggestions about the Pittsburgh Steelers and most recently the New York Jets.

Yes, the New York Jets.

That one came from NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo.