Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has made it abundantly clear that he's tearing the roster down to the studs as he kicks off a new era that will, in all likelihood, not feature Tua Tagovailoa.
In the aftermath of releasing Bradley Chubb and Tyreek Hill, Sullivan will have his eyes set on moving Tua, somehow, as his next chief priority. Whether that means Tua is cut or traded remains to be seen. A willing dance partner must surface to facilitate the latter route.
Here's how the Dolphins can shrug off Tua's sizable contract and thread the needle on what feels like a mountainous offseason dilemma to overcome.
The Tua Tagovailoa situation can still be navigated by the Miami Dolphins
First off, it's Malik Willis or bust for Miami Dolphins starting QB in free agency
ESPN's Dan Orlovsky provided a viral contract prediction for Malik Willis as he was balling out for the Green Bay Packers this past season:
Malik Willis is gonna get 40-50 million this off season
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 6, 2026
Willis is likely to command the very upper range of that presumptive two-year projection, or $25 million per year on a prospective new deal. Not many good alternatives are out there on the open market.
Plus, Sullivan and ex-Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley know Willis from their shared time in Green Bay. We'll know more soon about just how much cap room the Dolphins have to persuade Willis to sign on the dotted line.
The Arizona Cardinals or AFC East rival New York Jets could swoop in and steal Willis despite his Cheesehead-centric ties to Miami. If I were Sullivan, I'd do whatever it takes to make sure Willis is in a Dolphins uniform, including overpaying or sacrificing other vets via cuts or trades to get it done.
Dolphins trade Tua Tagovailoa & sacrificial draft picks to Indianapolis Colts for high-upside QB insurance
- Colts receive: QB Tua Tagovailoa & 87th overall pick
- Dolphins receive: QB Anthony Richardson & 2027 6th-round pick
Once upon a time, to get his hefty contract off their hands, the Houston Texans traded a second-round pick and Brock Osweiler to the Cleveland Browns. That premium draft capital was a convenience fee to get Osweiler out of Houston.
The Indianapolis Colts have huge decisions incoming on Alec Pierce and Daniel Jones. Pierce is one of the most explosive wide receivers in the NFL and a prime franchise tag candidate. Jones' value is complicated by the fact that he's recovering from a torn Achilles and fractured fibula.
What seems certain in Indy is that Anthony Richardson ain't the QB of the future. But if Willis is the Dolphins' QB1 move (and he should be), Richardson couldn't have a more perfect mentor.
Richardson was born in Miami. He didn't get a fair chance to develop. Many are writing off his future at age 23. That parallels Willis' NFL journey in a lot of ways. So the similarities between them extend beyond skill set.
Plus, if the Fins wanted to take a bit of the punishment of running off of Willis' legs, they could deploy Richardson as a situational package QB. That'd net him valuable game experience but not put too much wear and tear on him.
As for the Tua end of this deal, yes, Miami would have to pay a decent chunk of his salary, but he'd be a solid stopgap solution until there's more clarity on Jones' future. It'd be a one-year trial run, wherein the Colts could move off him in 2027 and save a lot against the cap. Indy would welcome the added draft capital, too, considering they just parted with two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner.
Playing in a dome, with a savvy offensive coach in Shane Steichen, may be the change of scenery Tua needs to flourish.
Dolphins free up flexibility for future QB with pricey-but-worthwhile Tua Tagovailoa trade
Even a post-June 1 cut puts the Dolphins $11+ million in the red against the 2026 salary cap, per OverTheCap.com. Trading Tua prior to June 1 creates $11 million in cap room, which Miami could pay Indy or another suitor the difference for via whatever portion of Tua's salary is agreed upon.
Having Willis and Richardson in the fold would create an interesting QB group, rounded out by 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. Tons of talent between that trio.
Ewers showed enough in three starts as a rookie that the Dolphins could even flip him for draft compensation to a team that's in need at the position, too. Not what I would do, but it's possible. Sullivan is showing right away that he's not attached to anyone from the previous regime.
Anyway, this seems like a savvy plan to score an upgrade at the starting spot in Willis, invest in a high-upside project in Richardson, and offload Tua while getting something fair in return.