-
Marcel Louis-Jacques
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is open to a «fresh start,» he told reporters Monday, after he was benched for the team’s final three games of the season.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers after the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, saying the seventh-round pick gave Miami the best chance to win.
Tagovailoa spent the remaining three games as the team’s inactive emergency third quarterback. Speaking after McDaniel’s decision on Dec. 17, Tagovailoa said that he was «disappointed» but that the decision was out of his control. He also declined to comment on whether he had played his final game for the Dolphins.
His tone shifted during the team’s locker room cleanout Monday, when asked whether he’d like a fresh start after the events of this season.
«That would be dope,» he said. «I would be good with it.»
Moving on from Tagovailoa will be expensive for Miami. He represents a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026, and cutting him before June 1 would result in a $99.2 million dead cap hit next season. Releasing him after June 1 would spread that dead cap hit across two seasons, with $67.2 million hitting in 2026.
The Dolphins could also look to trade the NFL’s 2023 leader in passing yards but would have to find a team willing to take on his salary.
If he has indeed played his final snap for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa will leave as the franchise’s fourth-leading passer with 18,166 yards and 120 touchdowns. He would also finish his time in Miami as the Dolphins’ career leader in completion percentage among qualified passers at 68%.
