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The Dolphins of Miami are building to the future and that future likely won’t include quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Not long ago, the belief was that he was going to lead the Dolphins on a Super Bowl run. That’s not going to be the case. That’s because the news came in of Tua Tagovailoa benched by the Dolphins in a huge NFL move.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are not going to be in the playoffs this year, which is not what anyone expected. In the Monday Night Football loss to the Steelers, Tagovailoa and the offense struggled. With Tua now being the backup, rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers is going to be the new starter to close out the season. This is a surprise for Dolphins of Miami fans.
“Tagovailoa already is guaranteed $54 million in 2026, and on March 15 next year $3 million of his 2027 salary will become guaranteed,” ESPN wrote on the news. “If the Dolphins were to release him next year, the move would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. Designating the move as a post-June 1 release would lower that charge to $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027.”
A major move in Miami: the Dolphins are benching QB Tua Tagovailoa and turning to Quinn Ewers as their new starting QB, per sources.
Ewers’ first start comes Sunday vs. the Bengals. pic.twitter.com/lzs2J1EfjP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2025
Miami Dolphins are benching star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
With how his contract is structured, Tagovailoa is still going to get more than $50 million in guaranteed money. Still, the hope was that he’d lead Miami back to a strong level, but that’s not going to be the case. It has been a year to forget for the AFC East team and more changes are on the way. Earlier this season, GM Chris Grier was fired.
A new GM will be hired this offseason, but will head coach Mike McDaniel return? That’s also unknown, as he’s on the hot seat due to the rough season for the Dolphins. Per the best sports betting sites, Miami entered the year with strong NFL betting odds to reach the playoffs.
However, injuries have brought this team down, with superstar receiver Tyreek Hill suffering his gruesome one early in the year. With him no longer making plays for the offense, it has had a negative impact on things overall and it has hurt Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua was a first-round pick and he recently received his huge contract extension. That was a gamble by Chris Grier and one that didn’t pay off. Ewers will take over as the new starting quarterback, but no one knows if he’ll be the main QB for the team in 2026 too.
The Dolphins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the National Football League this year and it has led to jobs being lost. Because of this, it’s safe to assume that Tagovailoa has started his last game for Miami. He’ll likely get released and look for a new team this winter.
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