If the Miami Dolphins are going to find success in 2025, they need Tua Tagovailoa to be on the field and leading the offense. History says that might be tough.
Last season was miserable for the Dolphins and it all can't be blamed on the two injuries suffered by their staring quarterback. Tagovailoa missed four games early in the season with another concussion, and two at the end of the season with a hip injury.
Part of the problem was that Miami didn't have a viable backup quarterback. To remedy that, the Dolphins signed former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who was buried on the Broncos' depth chart last year and didn't play a down. With the Jets, he was bad enough that they got rid of him.
Despite Wilson's woeful track record in the league, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report listed Tagovailoa as one of five QBs he thinks could get benched by the end of the season.
Tua Tagovailoa needs the 2025 season to silence an ever growing number of doubters.
"In 11 starts last year—Tagovailoa also missed the final two games with a fractured hip—the signal-caller posted a pedestrian 6-5 record and threw for 2,867 yards and 19 touchdowns," Kay writes. "Those types of performances won't cut it if the Dolphins are going to get back into the playoffs for the third time in four years with Tagovailoa at the helm."
"While Tagovailoa is under contract through the 2028 season, there are ways for the Dolphins to get out from under the deal. Trading him this season would only result in an $8.4 million dead-cap hit while freeing up nearly $31 million in cap room."
Fans in Miami have been on the fence about whether Tagovaila can lead the team to a Super Bowl since he was drafted. His history with concussions do not help his case.
Tua's current contract does not include a viable out after the 2025 season, but the Dolphins could feasibly move on after 2026.
What is interesting is that Miami may not have the same confidence they had in him two years ago. They could have created $19 million in cap room with a simple restructure, but oped not to do so, citing they didn't need the extra money.
At the end of the day, the question of Tua being benched in 2025 isn't difficult to answer. He is the starting quarterback this season, and it would take a monumental fall on his part to be replaced.