Miami GM Says 'Everything's On the Table' With Tua Tagovailoa Decision, Including Trade

The Dolphins need to figure out what they plan to do with their franchise signal caller.

Tua's play was ... not great in 2025. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

As the offseason gets underway, Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has offered curious parties a window into the team's plans regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched in December following an abysmal 2025.

Speaking to reporters at the combine on Tuesday, Sullivan made clear that "everything is on the table" in terms of sticking with or moving on from Tagovailoa, including a trade and a release.

The GM did, however, note that it would be difficult and "not likely" that the front office would make a $99 million cap hit work, which is the amount that would remain on the Fins' books if they cut Tua before June 1.

"We've had conversations with Tua and his representation. Everything's on the table, including the potential of a trade. We don't know which way that's going to go," Sullivan told the room. "There's a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had."

A trade, which still presents its own challenges, seems to be the ideal scenario for the Dolphins here. Whether another organization would take that on, though, considering Tua's rough play and high price, well, that's another story.

The 27-year-old, who suffered debilitating concussions in 2022 and 2024, was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers toward the end of the 2025 season. He finished the year with 2,660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, the second-most interceptions (15) in the league and the third-worst QBR (37.5).

Sullivan also noted Tuesday that Tagovailoa has not officially requested a trade, and added that the Dolphins do plan to draft a quarterback in April.

Analyzing Tua Tagovailoa’s contract

In hindsight, the Fins' decision to award Tua with a massive contract extension was not a good one. As things stand, the Alabama export is tied to Miami through 2026, and has $54 million fully guaranteed this upcoming season. A $3 million portion of his 2027 salary also becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year, a.k.a. March 13.

So what are the options here?

As Sullivan noted Tuesday, outright cutting Tua before June 1 is a possibility, but it would be difficult to manuever around $99.2 million in dead money. Or, Miami could designate Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 cut and spread that cap hit out across both 2026 and 2027, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted/suggested in November 2025.

Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said it was "not likely" that you can make the math of a $99 million cap hit work when asked about potentially cutting Tua Tagovailoa before June 1st

— c. isaiah smalls ii (@stclaudeii) February 24, 2026

The Broncos famously faced a similar problem just a few years ago, when they cut veteran QB Russell Wilson for a cap hit of $85 million. The team ultimately navigated the difficult territory and emerged as Super Bowl contenders in the AFC.

There is also the option of a trade. A deal prior to June 1 would still leave $45.2 million of dead money against the Dolphins' cap, per Rapoport.

And, although this seems unlikely, there is always the possibility that Miami keeps Tua on its roster as a very costly backup QB.

The decision will be expensive no matter what—but at least team owner Stephen Ross told the newly-hired Sullivan that cost should not be a concern when building a championship team, per the Wall Street Journal.

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