The most interesting thing to come from Saturday’s flurry of Dolphins trade deadline rumors had nothing to do with a trade at all

"If nothing changes, it is reasonable that Miami would consider a QB change. Zach Wilson has resumed his role as the No. 2 QB, and he has experience with 33 starts while with the Jets. Wilson is one option. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers impressed enough to replace Wilson for one game recently as Tagovailoa's primary backup, and he's come on in practice, as well.

The possibility that Ewers could play meaningful snaps if Tagovailoa continues to struggle should not be discounted. Tagovailoa's play would have to really fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers, but a potential benching is not off the table at some point this season."

— Ian Rapoport on the Dolphins' quarterback situation amid organizational changes

Tua Tagovailoa's contract figures with the Miami Dolphins

• $39.18M cap charge in 2025
• $54M in compensation fully guaranteed in 2026
• Easiest exit for Dolphins this offseason would be a Post-June 1 designation
  $55.4M dead cap charge in 2026, $43.8M dead cap charge in 2027

When it was said that there will be changes to this Dolphins organization a few weeks back, they meant CHANGES. Let's start with this, first and foremost — the Dolphins benching Tua Tagovailoa this season feels like a point of no return. Putting a former first-round, starting quarterback who is getting paid premium dollars on the bench in favor of Zach Wilson or Quinn Ewers certainly feels like it would be the catalyst of a departure this offseason despite the financial implications.

Team owner Stephen Ross is going to take a bath on the money owed to Tagovailoa in that case. But Ross is a highly successful businessman and bad investments are, unfortunately, a part of the deal. If Miami wants to pay Tagovailoa the money to go away this offseason, so be it. Rapoport, in his report, also highlighted that the Dolphins could agree to pay part of Tagovailoa's 2026 salary to offload him from their books via trade. That possibility hinges on several complicated things: timing of a deal, the cost of the cash needed to pay down the risk, and Tagovailoa staying healthy the rest of this season.

All of these possibilities being discussed amid a swath of Dolphins trade rumors and intel doesn't appear to be a coincidence — and it sets the stage for a fascinating final two months of this season as Mike McDaniel coaches for his job. Make no mistake about it. If the Dolphins sit Tagovailoa at any point this season and he misses starts, it should eliminate one of the four final possibilities off the proverbial bingo card:

1. Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel are both gone in 2026
2. Tua Tagovailoa is gone, Mike McDaniel returns in 2026
3. Tua Tagovailoa returns, Mike McDaniel is gone in 2026
4. Both Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel return in 2026

With a Tagovailoa benching, which Rapoport tells us is on the table, it essentially guarantees that both he and McDaniel won't return for next season together. Both could still be gone. One could be back. But both back? That feels like a long-shot.

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