Tua Tagovailoa is the most important personnel issue in the Miami Dolphins’ offseason. Now, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has spoken in detail about the topic.

What does the future hold for Tua Tagovailoa in the NFL? After several disastrous performances, the Miami Dolphins quarterback was benched by then-head coach Mike McDaniel after the 15th game of the 2025 season. Tagovailoa’s 15 interceptions were surpassed only by Geno Smith in the league, and rookie Quinn Ewers was given a chance to prove himself in the last three games of the season. What the Dolphins’ quarterback room will look like in 2026 is currently completely unclear. At a fan event, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley answered questions from Dolphins fans. Tagovailoa’s situation was also discussed.

“Of course, we’re also looking at other quarterbacks, in this draft and in all drafts after that,” Sullivan explained. But he also said he had a “great conversation” with Tagovailoa. “Tua is a very good player in this league. He has done a lot of good things for the Miami Dolphins,” he clarified.

Tagovailoa’s contract ties the Dolphins down

The decision on whether Tagovailoa will remain with the Dolphins in the future is “close,” he emphasized. “And when we do, we’ll let Tua know whether he’ll be here or not, and then we’ll move on.”

The problem for Miami is that Tagovailoa has a contract that the Dolphins cannot easily get out of. A release before March 13 and after June 1 would leave a dead cap of $99.2 million, but in the latter case, the amount could be spread over two years.

A trade would be significantly cheaper, but first there would have to be a team willing to take on the 27-year-old’s contract. It is more likely that the Dolphins would have to continue to pay a significant portion of the salary themselves or give up picks to persuade the other team to pay the salary.

Tagovailoa was picked fifth overall by the Dolphins in 2020. In the 2023 season, he led the league in passing yards and was selected for the Pro Bowl. Since then, however, his performances have become increasingly inconsistent.