The Miami Dolphins made the inevitable official before the legal tampering period of free agency even kicked off by announcing their intentions to release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Now that Tua's fate is known, the focus can shift to finding a new QB of the future. Perhaps that's 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. Maybe it's another young signal-caller from this year's draft class.
Or, Miami could nab a veteran on the open market. One semi-intriguing name became available right around the time the big Tagovailoa news came to light.
Bengals let restricted free agent QB Jake Browning hit free agency, and Dolphins could pounce
According to Over The Cap, it would've only cost the Bengals $3.52 million to give backup quarterback Jake Browning a restricted free-agent tender. I say "only" as if that's not just a shade under the 2026 cap figure they're paying an invaluable right guard in Dalton Risner.
Anyway, the point here for Miami is that Browning gets a crack at signing wherever he wants for the first time in a long time, although per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals are willing to bring him back if his market is cold.
For anyone scoffing at the notion of Browning as an appealing post-Tua option, well, it's not like they have much money to spend. They probably can't orchestrate a way to sign Malik Willis, who's the top name on the market and has Green Bay connections with new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan.
Most of the available vets who'd be viable stopgap options would come at too steep a cost. The Fins have zero leverage here, so Browning is kind of a desperate signing borne of convenience.
But Browning shouldn't be totally written off yet. This man has had to grind for every sliver of an opportunity he's gotten in the NFL. He was cut loose multiple times by Minnesota. When thrust into duty for an injured Joe Burrow in 2023, Browning completed over 70 percent of his passes and went 4-3 in seven starts with a 98.4 passer rating.
Browning blew his chance to cement himself as a starter in 2025 once Burrow went down again. Much of that was due to a literally-historically-bad Bengals running game in the early part of the season. The offensive line was a mess, as was the defense. It felt like Browning was pressing, too, as he threw eight INTs on only 125 pass attempts.
Sitting and learning behind Burrow gives Browning a great foundation to carry forward to his next team. A zero-pressure environment like Miami could be the spark that reignites his career. I'm sure Browning would be thrilled at the chance to compete for another starting gig.
The Dolphins could certainly do worse than signing Browning to compete with Ewers for the QB1 job. No need to swing big or bend over backwards to find a QB.
Browning could be the ultimate redemption story in Miami. He flashed starting-caliber potential for a sustained period in 2023. One more noteworthy anecdote: Browning had 88 more pass attempts that year than Willis has in his NFL career to date.