When the Miami Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa, it was assumed that many other players might finally get more playing time as the season turned to evaluation rather than winning football games. That apparently wasn't the case in Week 16.
With the Dolphins benching their quarterback, the coaching staff gave Quinn Ewers a solid target to work with, Theo Wease. It made sense; the two had been working on the scout team together all year. Having someone on the field to give Quinn some continuity made sense.
The Dolphins decided that Nick Westbrook-Ikhine wasn't needed, so he sat out the game, but it's Tahj Washington's inactive status that has fans wondering if his career in Miami is over.
Miami Dolphins sit Tahj Washington when they should be evaluating him
The Dolphins' inactive list included Washington, who has played sparingly in 2025. The 2024 seventh-round pick had shown some explosive ability to avoid contact while making defenders miss. It would make sense to give the two-year player some time with the goal of evaluating him in real game situations.
Maybe they believe they have seen enough of Washington in the four games he played this season. It would be hard to know what exactly the tape would show, considering he caught just one pass for 11 yards on two targets.
Washington's contract is not expensive to carry, but the Dolphins will need to nickel-and-dime the roster, and his $749,000 return if released will help.
The youngster still needs to develop, but he has shown flashes when given an opportunity. If he is released, he will likely get an offer from another team. He has that kind of potential. With Miami, it isn't clear why they don't see an opportunity for Washington to get reps.
The Dolphins went into Week 16 with Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington, Wease, and Cedrick Wilson. There was plenty of reason to move Wilson to the inactive list to get Washington playing time.
With two weeks left in the season, it will be telling for his future. If he isn't active in either of those final games, he will likely be gone this offseason, along with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who was also inactive.