Tua Tagovailoa was supposed to be the Miami Dolphins' franchise quarterback. Instead, his addition to the roster has been nothing more than a roller coaster of high peaks and fast drops. A career that started with promise quickly faded under Brian Flores.
Mike McDaniel became the "Tua whisperer," and it worked, for a short time. Inevitably, you can't coach players who can't continue to develop. The future of Tagovialoa in Miami has been in serious question for months, but according to Adam Schefter, his time in Miami is all but officially over.
💣 New: @AdamSchefter says the feeling around the league is that Tua Tagovailoa has played his last down for the Miami Dolphins
— The List - Dolphins Podcast (@TheListFinsPod) January 22, 2026
"Only question now is how and when the team moves on"#PhinsUp 🐬 pic.twitter.com/DsN8ypJDFd
Tua Tagovailoa's NFL future should be a bigger storyline than just his Miami Dolphins future
The Dolphins quarterback will make a lot of money regardless of whether he is on the roster or not. Miami can take a $99 million cap hit or $50 million in each of the next two seasons. No one expects the quarterback to restructure his contract to make it easier to trade him.
Schefter echoes what every Dolphins fan already had a feeling about. Tagovailoa isn't in the Dolphins' plans. On Thursday, Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley met the media for the first time. Neither the GM nor the HC would talk about Tagovialoa's future. They made it clear that they will do what is best for the Dolphins.
It was pretty easy to read between the lines and realize that the days of Tagovailoa being behind center in a Dolphins uniform are over. For most fans, this will be music; for others who still see a franchise talent, they will not be thrilled.
"There is a feeling around the league that Tua Tagovailoa has played his last down in Miami. The only question now is how and when the team moves on from him."Adam Schefter
The comments made by Sullivan regarding the quarterback only deepen the speculation that Tagovailoa is not in the team's plans. The Dolphins GM may not have said he wasn't going to be in the future, but the choice of words to not endorse his inherited quarterback said a lot more.
It isn't surprising that new general managers and head coaches want to move on from the quarterback. It's rarer when they do not. Executive jobs are often tied to how well the QB plays. In Miami, Tagovailoa cost Brian Flores his job, and eventually cost Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel theirs.
Sullivan and Hafley would be foolish to tie themselves to the Tagovailoa wagon. The more time passes by, the more likely it looks like they are smart enough not to.