New Dolphins regime has reportedly made huge Tua Tagovailoa decision

Not long after the Miami Dolphins officially hired new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley this winter, the club promoted passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to the role of offensive coordinator. 

Last week, Slowik told reporters that he believed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could "bounce back" after Tagovailoa was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers late this past season. It appears such a career resurrection won't involve the Dolphins and Tagovailoa staying married to each other this offseason. 

Dolphins seemingly have accepted this Tua Tagovailoa fate

On Sunday, NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported that "all signs are pointing toward the Dolphins' new regime moving on from" Tagovailoa at some point after the new league year opens on March 11. 

"Trading Tagovailoa is a possibility, but the Dolphins would likely have to eat a large chunk of his $54M fully-guaranteed salary for 2026 and another $45.2M dead cap charge would immediately hit this year," Pelissero explained. "Cutting Tagovailoa, on the other hand, would allow the Dolphins to spread the nearly $100M in dead cap across the next two years." 

The previous Dolphins regime signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4M contract in the summer of 2024. That said, the 2020 first-round draft pick has thus far gone 0-1 as a playoff starter during his pro career. Additionally, the StatMuse website shows that Tagovailoa was responsible for the third-most turnovers (16) committed during the 2025 regular season, even though he appeared in just 14 games. 

Of course, Tagovailoa also has a concerning injury history. He suffered three reported concussions from the start of the 2022 season through the 2024 campaign, and he missed the final two games of the 2024 season due to a hip injury. Back in January, he admitted that he could embrace receiving a "fresh start" elsewhere this coming spring. 

What teams could offer Tua Tagovailoa his desired fresh start? 

For an article published early Monday morning, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals are among clubs that "could be out there looking for a change, upgrade or significant augmentation at" quarterback this offseason. It's unclear if any of those teams would be willing to name Tagovailoa its QB1 before summer training-camp practices begin.