Don’t Fall For Jets-Tua Tagovailoa Speculation

The New York Jets have a glaring hole to fill at quarterback, but not all options are the same.

New York has dead money tied to Aaron Rodgers in 2026 and has $10 million guaranteed to Justin Fields, whether they decide to bring him back for another year or not. This offseason, the Jets need to get closer to getting the quarterback position right. Dante Moore could've been an option with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he's going back to school. There will be limited options available in free agency, but there will be guys like Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Carson Wentz, among others.

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The Jets could -- and should -- draft a guy at some point in 2026, but the quarterback class is viewed as somewhat weak after Fernando Mendoza. There will also surely be options available on the trade block, but very unlikely someone that can transform the franchise -- like a Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow-type -- shake loose. That is because it is difficult to find the right quarterback and when you do, you keep them.

The Jets need a quarterback

Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With the Jets needing a quarterback, speculation already has begun about who could be a fit. One name that has been thrown around in speculation is Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. For example, by Jets Wire's Justin Melo.

"Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray are two veteran starters who may get traded this offseason. Both of them got benched during the 2025 season, abruptly ending their respective tenures. Tagovailoa has a much more difficult contract to navigate, so Murray may be the easy choice here," Melo wrote.

Melo acknowledged Tagovailoa's contract is tougher than Murray's, but there's more to it than just that. First and foremost, if the Dolphins were to move on from Tagovailoa, it would be shocking to see them do so in a way that lands in the AFC East. He does have talent and even led the league in passing yards once and is just 27 years old. Injuries have played a role in his career so far, but he has talent. It's hard to believe he would end up back in the division.

His contract is brutal enough that The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt called it "untenable."

"Tagovailoa has looked like a shell of himself the last two years and his contract is untenable," Rosenblatt wrote.

He got a four-year deal worth over $212 million. His cap hit is over $56 million in 2026, $53 million in 2027, and $65 million in 2028. The Jets have long-term quarterback issues. Three seasons of Tagovailoa with those cap hits would handcuff the team as they try to build this roster from the ground up.

All of this is to say, if you see speculation tying the Jets to Tagovailoa, keep scrolling.

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