The Tua Tagovailoa era for the Miami Dolphins is destined to end this offseason. That being said, it might be an ugly breakup for both sides.
Tagovailoa has been with the Dolphins since 2020, throwing for 18,166 yards with 120 touchdowns. Although he's known for pinpoint accuracy and taking care of the football, he had a sloppy 2025 season where he threw 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
While the Dolphins would like to trade Tagovailoa this offseason, ESPN's Dan Graziano doesn't expect that to happen. That's because he's due $54 million in guaranteed money.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they may have no choice but to cut Tagovailoa when the new league year begins.
"The problem is that $54 million guarantee, which would transfer to whichever team trades for Tagovailoa and likely prevents any deal from getting done unless the Dolphins are willing to pay down a massive portion of it," Graziano wrote. "More likely, Miami will end up having to cut Tagovailoa and swallow $99.2 million in dead money cap charges as a result of a long-term extension that looks extremely ill-advised in retrospect."
Nov 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) leaves the field following a game against the New Orleans Saints at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images © Rich Storry-Imagn Images
Who'll replace Tua in Miami?
Although there's no guarantee the Dolphins will make a bid for him, Malik Willis makes the most sense for their new regime.
The Dolphins hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley from the Green Bay Packers. They had the chance to see Willis up close for the past two seasons, and judging by Sullivan's recent remarks, they liked what they saw.
"Any team that is potentially in a needy quarterback situation, if they tell you they're not talking about Malik Willis, that would be a lie," Sullivan said, via Packers.com. "Very happy for Malik on a personal level, the situation he's put himself in. It's a testament to him and how he played in the opportunities he got."
In limited action with the Packers, Willis had 972 passing yards, 261 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns. Make no mistake, he'll be a full-time starter in 2026. We're just not sure which team will sign him.
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