Just about everybody in the NFL world knows that the Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are headed for a divorce. There are too many reasons to count at this point as to why it will happen, but general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan just got another one this week.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals will be releasing QB Kyler Murray, ending the 2019 first overall pick's run with the franchise. Thanks to the amount of money Murray is owed from the Cardinals in 2026, any team looking to sign him would only have to pay the league minimum for a one-year deal. That number? A measly $1.3 million.
The same will be true for Tagovailoa when his eventual release comes to pass, but Murray appears to have much more left to offer potential suitors this offseason. For a cash-strapped Dolphins team, he could be a cheap way to keep the offense competitive in 2026.
The Miami Dolphins would be wise to give Kyler Murray a second chance as a starting QB
All of the focus on the Dolphins QB search is on Malik Willis, and for good reason. Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley know him well from their two years together with the Green Bay Packers, and Willis offers something that no other free agent QBs have: legitimate upside.
That upside, however, looks primed to make him a very rich man this offseason. Contract projections have ranged from around $20 million per season to over $30 million, money that the Dolphins may not want to spend in the first year of a full-scale rebuild. With the rest of the free agent options lacking any real upside (or even that great of a floor, to be honest), Murray could be the next best option.
Even if Murray never returns to the level of play that earned him a big extension in Arizona, he would likely be a sizable upgrade compared to what Miami got from Tagovailoa last season. The big question is whether the Dolphins feel it's necessary to add someone like him when they are unlikely to compete in 2026. Rolling with 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers might make more sense if their goal is to just stay above water.
If Hafley is committed to trying to field the best team he can in his first year, however, few available options would be better for that than Murray. With a few cheap additions in free agency and a solid first draft class under Sullivan, Miami could reasonably win a similar number of games in 2026 as they did a year ago.
Fans may scoff at the idea of trying to stay relevant in the middle of a clear rebuild, but NFL players and coaches never want to lose. It's not in their DNA to think about the benefits of a bad season that nets a top pick. And if that's the mentality this upcoming season, don't be surprised if Miami is one of the teams linked to Murray once he is officially released.