The Miami Dolphins are officially cleaning house and parting ways with the entirety of the past regime. Not only is general manager Chris Grier gone, but so is head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons. Next up on the proverbial chopping block is recently benched quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa's time in Miami appears to be up after 2025 went just about as poorly as one could expect. With two more very expensive seasons still on the ledger, the Dolphins might be better off biting the bullet and helping the former No. 5 overall pick find a new home.
One of these five options has to be right in the crosshairs of whoever gets hired as Miami's next head coach.
5 Tua Tagovailoa replacements after Miami Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel
5. Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins
Let's see what he's got, no? In a thin quarterback market and on a team that doesn't have a ton of financial flexibility, Ewers might be worth taking a look at for a new regime in Year 1 as they try to weed out some of the McDaniel guys before committing to a young gun in Year 2.
4. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nussmeier might be the best Day 2 target for Miami, as his stock has fallen after he suffered a few injuries that limited his overall effectiveness. When healthy, Nussmeier shows off NFL arm talent, accuracy down the field, and a pre-snap brain that helps him identify trouble at the line of scrimmage.
3. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Of the veteran bridge options out on the market, Cousins may be the best of the bunch. While his mobility is lacking, Cousins' arm and smarts can carry him to respectable production in one final go as a starter.
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore are locked in as the top two prospects in this class, and Simpson is the bronze medalist. He could go anywhere from No. 11 overall to the second round, but his deep ball might be worth rolling the dice on for a new regime.
1. Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers
Willis is going to cost a bit due to the lack of high-upside free agent options other than him, but nobody available has Willis' combination of explosive arm talent and athletic ability. The Dolphins won't be stuck with him if he fails, but the upside is that of a high-end starter. With new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan coming from Green Bay's front office, I imagine he will have interest.