The Denver Broncos showed Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross the blueprint to get out of a horrible quarterback contract. You grab a fork and eat it, but the Dolphins may not have that option given the nature of Tua Tagovailoa's contract.
The task should be to try to trade Tagovailoa as soon as they can, now that he has been demoted. They will inevitably eat all or most of the contract he is under, and there is no way around that. The question is when and how much they will eat.
Most of the conversation will inevitably revolve around Tagovailoa's numbers, guarantees, and what they may get in a trade, but there is another angle that won't sit well with fans. Miami could just opt to keep him on the roster for another season and let him ride the bench.
Tua Tagovailoa may have played his final game as the unquestioned Dolphins starter
Keeping Tagovailoa as a backup would be a risky move. He may opt to retire instead of taking the demotion. This option would work better if Mike McDaniel isn't retained as the head coach. There may be too much history there for McDaniel to deal with the distraction.
The Dolphins could afford to take the cap hit in 2026 with some cap shenanigans, but it's more palatable after next season. Still, keeping Tagovailoa will be the more likely route heading into the offseason unless a trade partner can be found. It will be a major discussion point between now and March. It gets pretty in-depth when numbers start getting discussed.
This is where the Dolphins need to balance their objectives for the 2026 season. Miami could roll with Tagovailoa for another season, but the results are likely to be the same, possibly worse. The Dolphins' schedule in 2026 is not going to be easy.
If the Dolphins believe that Tagovailoa isn't the answer, they could look to bring in another veteran quarterback to compete for the job, but this player would have to be a much cheaper option, and also one that would not rock the proverbial boat.
The Dolphins' best option might be to keep Tagovailoa and draft a mid-round quarterback they can pencil in to start. This would eliminate some of the potential bad vibes with Tagovailoa. In this scenario, the Dolphins ride 2026 on the shoulder of a rookie or Quinn Ewers and let Tagovailoa provide backup. It could be under the umbrella of a youth movement.
Regardless, there isn't much Tagovailoa can say about it. He is under contract and getting paid a lot of money, whether he is on the field or off of it. But as we have seen the last two years, that isn't winning the team games.
The decision the Dolphins make after the season will have a major impact on the 2026 season, regardless. They either run it back and eat the money with Tagovailoa playing, or they eat the money with him playing somewhere else. Things have gotten sour enough that they may just bite the bullet in 2026 and look towards the future.