The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins are trading quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. At least, they will be soon.
This week, the team announced that Tagovailoa would be benched in favor of rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, a 7th-round selection in last year’s draft. The veteran quarterback has had the worst season of his NFL career so far, throwing for just 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and a league-high 15 interceptions.
However, lost in all the fuss and commotion, was the fact that Tagovailoa was not simply demoted to backup quarterback, but rather the No.3 emergency quarterback. In other words, the Dolphins are heavily invested in keeping Tua off the field, and keeping him upright. Since cutting Tagovailoa would result in nearly $100 million in dead money in 2026 (the largest figure for any player in NFL history), all signs point to a potential trade looming for the Dolphins. And if a team were to trade for Tagovailoa, Miami’s dead cap hit would be much, much lower.
So, with that in mind, which three teams should trade for Tua Tagovailoa?
Arizona Cardinals Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins Get: QB Kyler Murray
The Cardinals and Dolphins find themselves in the exact same situation. Both teams spent a first-round draft selection on a small, injury-prone quarterback, and paid him more than he was worth. Now, both teams are stuck in no-man’s-land, and desperately need a new quarterback.
The Cardinals currently hold the No.6 pick in next year’s draft, but will likely not have their pick of signal callers to choose from, with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders sitting ahead of them. The same can be same for the Dolphins, who hold the No. 11 pick.
Enter, trade talks.
But, why would either of these teams simply swap one expensive contract for another? Well, if the trade was executed after June 1st of 2026, the dead cap hit for both teams would be significantly less. Tagovailoa would have a $13.4 million dead cap hit in 2026, and Murray would have a $10.4 million dead cap hit. Both teams could then release their new signal callers in 2027 (if desired), with a $13.4 million dead cap hit for Tagovailoa and a $7.2 million dead cap hit for Murray.
In other words, a straight swap would allow both teams to reset the course of their franchises within just two seasons, while also saving a ton of money.
Indianapolis Colts Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, salary compensation
Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 5th rounder
Earlier this season, the Indianapolis Colts were soaring. Quarterback Daniel Jones had found his groove in Indy, and the Colts held the No. 1 seed in the AFC for over two months.
Then, disaster struck. Jones tore his Achilles in Week 14, and with no options, the team turned to 44-year-old Philip Rivers to come out of retirement and lead their team in Week 15. Yes, that Philip Rivers.
Clearly, the Colts need a quarterback. But, having traded away their first-round...
