Will Tua Tagovailoa remain with the Miami Dolphins through the 2026 season? That is a question fans want to have answered, and one Jeff Hafley won't discuss.
The Dolphins' new head coach will work in concert with GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, and he hinted that the team already has a plan in place for the quarterback position, but refuses to give away the details. As a result, speculation that Tagovailoa has played his last game for the Dolphins continues to grow.
I'm trying not to like him just off his words but I like how he isn't bsing us and says they have a plan he just isn't telling us lol https://t.co/JMUVlWciUf
— DouglieDoWrong (@DouglieDoWrong) January 28, 2026
Jeff Hafley refuses to confirm or deny a future with Tua Tagovailoa as his Miami Dolphins QB
The Dolphins don't have to wait until March to say Tagovailoa will compete for the starting job. He doesn't have to wait until the weekend to say it. Tagovailoa is on his roster, he is getting paid a massive amount, and if Hafley believes there will be a competition, he would say it.
"Can I sit here now and tell you want that (QB) plan is, no. Has there been conversations? Yeah. "Jeff Hafley
Miami's coach deflected the question to Jon-Eric Sullivan, but laughed and said he would be "full of BS and lying to you" if he said he didn't have a plan.
The plan. What is it? Who is it? Hafley may have given a couple of hints without actually making a statement. At no point did he mention Tagovailoa by name. In fact, no one has since they arrived unless they were directly asked a question about him. To be fair, he hasn't mentioned Quinn Ewers by name either.
Hafley did say that competition could come from the players on the roster, free agency, or the draft. The Dolphins could make a big move and draft a mid-round quarterback this April, and they could, as many have speculated, chase free agent Malik Willis.
Willis already knows what Sullivan and Hafley expect and would provide the Dolphins a one or two-year gap quarterback while they get their roster and salary cap under control.
The future of Tagovailoa remains a question, and no one but Hafley and Sullivan knows the answer. Neither is willing to go on the record. That speaks volumes about what "The Plan" is. Again, if Tagovailoa was part of that plan, there is no reason not say he is. It doesn't hurt his trade potential, doesn't save the team money, and doesn't change the reality that he will need to compete for his job. In other words, Tagovailoa isn't sticking around this year.