There is some speculation that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could remain on the Miami Dolphins' roster for the 2026 season. However, I'd put those odds at slim to none, and would otherwise say he'll be gone from the team one way or another by March 11.
Given his hefty contract, the Dolphins would rather trade Tua, but that's easier said than done, and seems unlikely in the grand scheme of things. It's more likely that Miami will cut Tagovailoa and decide whether they want to eat his $99 million cap hit in one season or mark him a post-June 1 cut to expand it over two years.
Either way, Tua is 99% sure to be off of the Dolphins' roster for 2026. But where could he end up?
CBS Sports names 4 potential landing spots for Tua Tagovailoa
CBS Sports recently named four NFL teams that Tua could wind up on, either via trade or in free agency. And in all honesty, I would agree on some level for each of them. The first team listed has been my personal best landing spot for the former Alabama QB—except for one glaring issue in the building.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are in a perplexing situation when it comes to the QB position. In 2024, they had Sam Darnold, who led them to a 14-3 season, and drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in the NFL draft to eventually take the reins as the franchise quarterback.
Unfortunately, McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason opener after an impressive performance, forcing him to miss his entire rookie season. Last offseason, Darnold signed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he would go on to win the Super Bowl, leaving McCarthy as the starter for 2025. Yet, the injury bug hit McCarthy again early in the year.
He missed the next five games with a high ankle sprain and was in and out of the lineup as the season wore on, appearing in just 10 games total.
With question marks surrounding McCarthy heading into his third year, Tua would seemingly be a great addition to the QB room for head coach Kevin O'Connell and company. However, it's a certain personnel member on the other side of the ball that makes this an awkward pairing.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was the Dolphins' head coach when Miami drafted Tagovailoa. It didn't take long for Flores to make it known that he wasn't a fan and was the one pushing the organization to trade for then-Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Yes, Flores is now focused solely on the defensive side in his role with Minnesota, but he and Tua being in the same building again could make things uncomfortable for all involved.
Arizona Cardinals
There has been some speculation that the Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals should make a QB-for-QB trade, with Tua going out west, and Miami acquiring Kyler Murray. I, personally, can't help but think of the Spider-Man meme of the two pointing at each other if this scenario were to occur. Although if I had to choose between the two, I'd take Murray's running upside.
Nevertheless, like Miami, Arizona will be looking to move on from its once-believed franchise QB as well. In the meantime, the Cardinals have Jacoby Brissett as their likely starter for 2026. In 14 games with Arizona last year, Brissett set career-highs across the board with 3,366 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. Pairing Tua with him in Arizona would be some form of déjà vu as the two spent time together in Miami in 2021.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts had everything going for them in 2025. Halfway through the season, they were sitting with a 7-1 record and in first place in the AFC. They had surprised everyone and decided to go all-in ahead of the NFL trade deadline by acquiring cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets. But then, things went very, very south.
Quarterback Daniel Jones had been having an-NFL MVP, or, at minimum, Comeback Player of the Year-type season. Sadly, in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones tore his Achilles tendon, ending his season. The Colts would go on to lose out the rest of the way, finishing with an 8-9 record and out of the postseason.
At the time of their trade for Gardner, it was deemed a hefty price ( two first-round picks), but one that made sense because the secondary was Indianapolis's weakest link. Now, though, Indy is left without a first-round pick not only this year, but in 2027 as well, which is expected to be a deep class for quarterbacks.
As of now, the Colts have every intention of re-signing Jones to a new contract. However, his injury will require months of rehab, and there are questions behind him in the QB room. Anthony Richardson has seemed to have worn out his welcome in Indianapolis and has even been speculated as a possible trade chip in exchange for Tagovailoa.
Meanwhile, the Colts may be more open to the idea of Riley Leonard as their No. 2, but after signing Philip Rivers last year after five years on the couch, that seems unlikely.
As time goes on, Tua in a Colts uniform doesn't seem that far-fetched, and if Miami is going to successfully pull off a trade, a Tagovailoa-for-Richardson deal becomes one of the more plausible options.
Atlanta Falcons
There's an old saying in football made famous by the late John Madden, stating that "If you have two quarterbacks, you have none." And that's precisely where the Atlanta Falcons currently sit.
In March 2024, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. Then, shockingly, one month later, they drafted Michael Penix Jr. with their first-round selection. Atlanta's thinking was that at least one needs to turn out successful. Turns out, though, neither has been the answer, and they sit right in the same position as they did two years ago.
Last season, Penix partially tore his ACL, ending his season after just nine games. It was his third ACL injury dating back to college, not to mention a couple of shoulder injuries as well at Indiana, raising strong concerns over his health going forward.
In his place, Cousins was a disaster. He showed that his best days are well behind him, and that he's nowhere near worth the price of admission. That's not to say Tua is, obviously, and he clearly has his own injury history, but assuming the Falcons are paying at or near the league minimum for him, they may be willing to take a chance.
The NFC South is always up for grabs, and former two-time NFL Coach of the Year and new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski may be willing to roll the dice on Tagovailoa under center. The idea is not out of the realm of possibility, either, as Sports Illustrated mocked Tagovailoa in a recent trade to Atlanta.