Dolphins have no easy fix for tenuous QB position

"Tua's gotta know that," Aikman said.

His lack of mobility led the Dolphins to lose 20 yards on two third-quarter possessions, with Tagovailoa taking two third-down sacks to end drives.

No easy fix to Dolphins' QB woes

Tagovailoa finished 22-of-28 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, gaining most of his yards during a meaningless fourth quarter. The loss wiped all the goodwill the team had generated during a four-game win streak that resuscitated its season. In the Dolphins' highest-stakes game of 2025, Tagovailoa had one of his worst games.

This season, he leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and is averaging 190 yards per game, his fewest since his rookie season. Tagovailoa has also been sacked a career-high 30 times. It would make sense for the Dolphins to explore other options at quarterback in 2026, except it won't be that easy.

On July 26, 2024, Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension, linking him to the franchise through the 2028 season. His $53.1M average annual value (AAV) is the sixth-highest amount in the league, and he has a $56.4M cap hit for the 2026 season.

Per Spotrac, if released, the Dolphins would take on $99.2M in dead money. They could split the amount between the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but that would still result in Miami losing $11M in 2026 cap space.

It's likely Tagovailoa is on the 2026 roster, and Miami might not have many appealing options for a replacement. Per Tankathon, the Dolphins currently hold the No. 11 pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. While it's entirely conceivable they lose their remaining games, it will be difficult for them to move into position to select one of the few viable quarterback options in this year's class.

Miami doesn't have any good in-house options, either. Former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, who has only nine pass attempts over the past two seasons, and rookie seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers are the only other quarterbacks with the organization.

Monday's loss was a glimpse into the Dolphins' future. With no clear pathway to improvement, they could be stuck with Tagovailoa in 2026. The future will have to wait.