Past and Present Hypotheticals for Miami Dolphins Backup QB (And Should Tua Simply Have Been Kept?)

Tua Tagovailoa's dead cap hit presents the question of whether Miami should have simply held onto their previous quarterback.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) shown on the field during training camp at IBM Performance Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Dolphins backup quarterback position has been among the team’s weakest, with the likes of Quinn Ewers, Cam Miller, and Mark Gronowski failing to showcase anything of note throughout training camp. As the team potentially weighs their options going forward, we’re looking at a “what if” scenario from the Dolphins' past, as well as a few other hypotheticals.

Miami’s lack of depth across their roster is largely a product of their roster overhaul. By moving on from the likes of Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Tua Tagovailoa, Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan are dealing with the effects of having the most dead cap money in NFL history. 

However, the cap hit by releasing Tagovailoa individually was nearly the same as if he were still on the roster. Thus, it’s worth investigating whether Miami should have simply held on to their homegrown quarterback.

Tua Tagovailoa in 2026

On paper, keeping Tagovailoa would have made some sense. New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was on the staff in 2025, and carries with him the same Shanahan lineage that led to Tagovailoa’s best years under Mike McDaniel. 

However, it may not be as clean of a fit as those ties would suggest, considering Ewers, who had success running McDaniel’s scheme at the end of 2025, has not seen the same success so far.

Furthermore, it was pretty clear that Tagovailoa regressed heavily. He finished last season second in interceptions with 15 and was in the bottom seven of expected points added per dropback. The tape demonstrated that his calling cards, such as accuracy and quick-game anticipation, simply weren’t in the same place as they were in the years prior.

It’s also fair to mention, without speculating too hard, that this could have undermined the culture that Hafley is trying to establish. On top of the clear push of the reset button and ridding of the old guard, this team has made it abundantly clear that, at least for this season, new quarterback Malik Willis is a leader and extension of what the coaching staff is hoping to ingrain. The prospect of making him the second highest-paid player at his position on his own team, behind someone that held the same importance to a staff that’s no longer intact, doesn’t hold the same weight as Hafley handing him the keys in the way we’ve seen.

Tagovailoa, who Miami will see in their preseason finale Friday night, represents a previous era that the Dolphins’ actions suggest they’re attempting to disassociate themselves from. While the astronomical $99.2 million dead cap hit brings with it this hypothetical, it also represents a complete and total reset.

Still, Miami needs a solution at backup quarterback, and as the weeks go by, performance suggests it won’t be Ewers, Miller, or Gronowski. The team certainly will scout outside talent with roster cutdowns happening next week, and it's worth noting a couple names that could be available if they decide to make a change.

Other Backup QB Options

Two teams in the AFC North are worth keeping an eye on when it comes to players who could be cut. The Cleveland Browns, who named Deshaun Watson as their starter Monday, notably left 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel out of the competition between Watson and Sanders. Considering this, and that Cleveland selected Taylen Green in the sixth round of the draft this April, it’s fair to assume Gabriel is on the outside looking in.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the other intriguing team in that division. Aaron Rodgers and third-round pick Drew Allar are locks to make the team, and if they decide to keep only three quarterbacks, that means either 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard or seventh-year veteran Mason Rudolph will hit the market.

Also worth a look is the Philadelphia Eagles with Andy Dalton, who potentially slots in behind Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, and rookie Cole Payton as he enters his age-39 season. 

These options and more will potentially come into play after preseason week three, where Miami will see what could be, along with what could have been.