NFL Mock Trade: Tua Tagovailoa Sent to Seattle Seahawks for Sam Darnold

The Miami Dolphins already appear to be on a massive downslide after Week 1 and this prompts a lot of questions. Will they bounce back? Will Tyreek Hill get traded? Will Mike McDaniel get fired? There is so much to consider as this team is pinned up against the wall. A contender just two years ago, they are among the worst NFL teams and this points toward a potential re-build scenario. That would be lead by trading their franchise quarterback — Tua Tagovailoa.

Fantasy Football Impact

I would hate to have Tua Tagovailoa as my quarterback right now. I never drafted him, personally, given the risk factor with the Dolphins team. We knew they had concerns with Tyreek Hill and the health of Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane. Tua has a concussion history and I would never play my chips on this poker table.

If you roster Tua, he might as well be a hold and wait. In a scenario where he did get traded mid-season, his value probably takes a short-term hit. His upside is its highest with the Dolphins. In this mock trade, he could have future value in dynasty, but nothing immediate.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle need to stay locked in and hope that Mike McDaniel gets this offense worked out. Otherwise, their fantasy value continues to fall through the cracks. De'Von Achane is less affected by any QB change, and increased if Tyreek leaves town himself.

Mock Trade Details

Dolphins Receive: Sam Darnold, 2026 1st Round Pick, 2027 1st Round Pick, 2027 3rd Round Pick

Seahawks Receive: Tua Tagovailoa

Why the Dolphins Say Yes

If the Dolphins are on the outs with Mike McDaniel, they would be better off chasing a re-build than building around the volatile Tua Tagovailoa. At this point, they want to shed his contract and he still does carry notable value.

By adding Sam Darnold, the team adds a solid, filler quarterback that can keep the team competitive for the time-being. Quinn Ewers could be a long-term solution, although unlikely. Zach Wilson is a backup with low-starting upside given his history. The draft picks provide opportunity to draft a new quarterback despite being likely towards the 2nd half of the first round.

If the Dolphins still have Tyreek Hill, Darnold could provide confidence from his receiving staff, keeping the team competitive enough to minimize fan uproar.

Why the Seahawks Say Yes

Tua Tagovailoa is still a solid quarterback when healthy. A team like Seattle may decide that they can get a quarterback that fits their run-pass scheme very well. Tua carries a cap hit of well over $50M AAV, but Darnold carries $33.9M in 2026 and $41.9M in 2027. This contract swap is not as drastic as you would think for Seattle.

The Seahawks have Klint Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator and he loves a run-to-pass concept. This is where Tua has thrived with Mike McDaniel. Short-passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp where Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet run wild could be reminiscent of that lethal 2023 Dolphins team.

In this trade, Mike Macdonald gets a different quarterback for his next three years at a discount and better scheme fit. Jalen Milroe would learn this scheme-fit very well behind Tua and fill in seamlessly if injury does occur to Tua.

Trade Recap

Dolphins: Shed $15-20M AAV in contract, stay competitive in the short-term as they search for a long-term young quarterback that can learn behind Sam Darnold. Trade happens likely with a Mike McDaniel firing.

Seahawks: Add a great scheme-fit quarterback that allows Jalen Milroe to grow with a similar style fit as a young rookie quarterback. Investment for better quarterback play, scheme-fit.