Early Wednesday morning, it was announced that the Miami Dolphins were benching starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers. Since that news hit the wire, speculation about his future has run rampant.
Throughout the day, nearly everyone in sports and Dolphins fans alike have been wondering if this will be the last of Tagovailoa in a Dolphins uniform. With a massive cap hit should he be released, it is growing a little clearer that his future may be somewhere else.
According to Adam Schefter, the Dolphins may be done with their quarterback.
"I think it's time to start playing the numbers game in Miami..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 17, 2025
Tua Tagovailoa is gonna have a $99M cap charge if the Dolphins decide to move on from him"
Clearly Miami is gonna be moving forward without Tua one way or another" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/5Zp1vxuZU5
Adam Schefter sees the Miami Dolphins parting ways with Tua Tagovailoa
The NFL insider pointed out that there are blueprints to getting rid of overpaid quarterbacks. He cited the Broncos, who, he pointed out, are still carrying more than $30 million in cap space for the Russell Wilson move. He pointed out the Jets ate more than $40 million by releasing Aaron Rodgers. Tagovailoa?
"The Dolphins are going to be moving on from Tua, one way or another. You don't bench him to go with a rookie, Quinn Ewers, without essentially separating right now. "Adam Schefter
Schefter sees this as the first step in this relationship ending and Tagovailoa being released or traded. Ideally, the Dolphins would trade the quarterback to a team that is looking more for a bridge than a franchise quarterback.
Most believe that Tagovailoa's days as being considered a franchise player are all but over. The Dolphins could release him with a post-June 1st release and spread the $99 million out over a few years, or they could try to trade him.
What makes this interesting is that the Dolphins are likely going to move on from Tyreek Hill after the season as well. Hill will most likely be designated a post-June 1st release as well. The Dolphins will eat $15.8 million but will save $36 million. It's a small offset to what they will lose by releasing Tagovailoa.
The Tagovailoa saga is just getting started, but for fans wondering if there is a real chance of the quarterback being released, it is starting to seem like a viable option the Dolphins will explore after the season.