Falcons Sign QB Tua Tagovailoa
MARCH 13: Like Russell Wilson in 2024 and Kyler Murray on Thursday, Tagovailoa agreed to a veteran-minimum contract following a high-profile release. The former Dolphins starter, who will compete with Penix for the Falcons’ QB1 gig, will do so for barely $1MM, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms. This will cut into Miami’s historic dead money bill, but not by much.
Exercising Tagovailoa’s 2026 option bonus before his release (per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson), the Dolphins will be tied to a $55.4MM dead money hit this year. That breaks Wilson’s single-season record ($53MM). Tagovailoa will count $43.8MM against Miami’s 2027 cap.
MARCH 9: The Dolphins are planning to release Tua Tagovailoa, and just a few hours later, he has found a new team. The 28-year-old quarterback will be moving one state north to join the Falcons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
As expected, Tagovailoa will receive a one-year, veteran-minimum deal in Atlanta, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, as Miami is still paying him $54MM this season. He will join fellow lefty Michael Penix Jr. in a Falcons quarterback room that will likely soon lose Kirk Cousins.
In fact, Tagovailoa projects as the team’s bridge starter as Penix works his way back from knee surgery, filling a role that could have kept Cousins in Atlanta. Instead, the veteran should now get the opportunity to pick a new team that he did not receive last offseason.
Considering Tagovailoa’s drastic fall since his 2023 Pro Bowl nod, Atlanta is a fine landing spot for the former first-round pick. The Falcons have been non-committal on Penix’s status as their franchise QB, and his injury will give Tagovailoa an opportunity to rebuild his stock surrounded by a strong supporting cast.
The Falcons have a solid offensive line and exciting young skill position players like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. But Tagovailoa’s struggles over the past two seasons will still give him an uphill battle in convincing Atlanta’s new leadership that he, not Penix, is the quarterback to steward the team’s offense into the future.
Finding no trade takers, the Dolphins will designate Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 cut Wednesday. That comes as little surprise, as it will allow Miami to spread out the record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge in this case over two years. Thanks to Tagovailoa’s guarantees on his contract, he could account for $67MM a dead cap charges in 2026 as the Dolphins move forward with their full-scale roster reset.
Benched before Week 16 last season, Tagovailoa would welcome a fresh start. His four-year, $212.4MM extension — which included a $54MM 2026 option bonus that shifted from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2025 — backfired quickly. Still, Tagovailoa played well for much of the 2022 and ’23 campaigns.
Tua, 28 in May, led the league in yards per attempt and passer rating in 2022, passing yards in 2023 and completion percentage in 2024. Concussion concerns resurfaced in 2024, and Tagovailoa missed six games that year. His 2025 season continued a downward trajectory. But at the veteran minimum, the Falcons will take a flier.
If Tagovailoa were to make that a serious consideration later this year, it would create a fascinating dynamic in Atlanta. The Falcons surprised many by selecting Penix with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft weeks after signing Cousins to a four-year, $160MM deal with $90MM guaranteed. Cousins started the regular season strong, but struggled with turnovers down the stretch and was replaced by Penix. He went into 2025 as the unquestioned starter with Cousins trying to force his way out of Atlanta. But Penix did not inspire much confidence himself before partially tearing his ACL, leaving the Falcons in a tricky spot this offseason.
Normally, a quarterback’s third season (second as a starter) is a good litmus test for their long-term capabilities. But Penix will not get that type of opportunity, as he is expected to miss offseason practices as the team transitions to Kevin Stefanski‘s coaching staff. Instead, Tagovailoa will have the first opportunity to impress the new regime on the field.
Dolphins Release QB Tua Tagovailoa
MARCH 12: Tagovailoa’s release is now official. The Dolphins have designated their six-year starting quarterback as a post-June 1 cut. As a result, Miami will take on a record-smashing dead money number. Tagovailoa has secured another opportunity, landing with the Falcons.
Atlanta is planning to pit Tagovailoa against fellow left-hander Michael Penix Jr. in an open competition ahead of the 2026 season. As Russell Wilson was in 2024 (and as Kyler Murray may well be this year), Tagovailoa is expected to be tied to veteran-minimum money. The Dolphins have used both their post-June 1 designations, making the same move to jettison Bradley Chubb (who has since joined the Bills).
MARCH 9: Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins tenure is about to officially end. His release will take place at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, per a team announcement.
“As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner,” a statement from new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan reads in part.
“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons.”
This will be a post-June 1 release, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes. That comes as little surprise, as it will allow Miami to spread out the record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge in this case over two years. Thanks to Tagovailoa’s guarantees on his contract, he could account for $67MM a dead cap charges in 2026 as the Dolphins move forward with their full-scale roster reset.
Alternatively, that dead money figure could be split more evenly. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, Miami’s decision on a pending option bonus will dictate how this release is processed from a financial standpoint. The team could take on $55.4MM in dead money now with the remaining $43.8MM being delayed t0 2027.
In any case, today’s news confirms Tagovailoa will be among the veteran quarterbacks on the market this week. The former first-rounder was the subject of a tanking effort from Miami leading up to the 2020 draft. With Joe Burrow off the board, the Dolphins opted for Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert, who was selected one pick later by the Chargers. Burrow and Herbert remain in place with their respective teams and are attached to monster contracts. Tagovailoa, 28, inked a mega-extension of his own in 2024 but things did not go according to plan afterwards, to say the least.
The former No. 5 pick earned a Pro Bowl nod for his level of play in 2023, a year in which he led the NFL in passing yards. Tagovailoa managed a healthy campaign leading up to his extension agreement, but that was not the case in 2024. After being limited to 11 games that year, Tagovailoa’s future, as well as that of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier was a talking point. Grier was fired in the middle of the 2025 campaign, one in which McDaniel (who was himself dismissed after the year ended) benched a healthy Tagovailoa. Since then, the Alabama product has been open to a fresh start.
Given the major guarantees present in Tagovailoa’s contract, interested teams have been willing to wait for a release before making a push to acquire him. A veteran minimum deal will now be in store from a suitor seeking an inexpensive option under center. The Vikings and Jets have been mentioned as possibilities, but more teams could be in the fold as well.
Miami, meanwhile, will seek out a new QB1 under Sullivan and former Packers colleague Jeff Hafley. The new GM-HC tandem’s Green Bay background has led to the expectation of a Malik Willis pursuit, but a less expensive option may be needed given the team’s cap situation. In any event, a new setup will be in place at the quarterback spot as a new Dolphins era begins in 2026.
Falcons To Hold Open QB Competition Between Penix, Tagovailoa
The Falcons now have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to left-handed quarterbacks, and both have a decent amount of starting experience. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Atlanta will have incumbent passer Michael Penix and newcomer Tua Tagovailoa work in an open competition for the QB1 position in 2026. 
The Dolphins struggled mightily to move the contract of Tagovailoa before they ultimately had to make the decision to cut him. Per Wolfe, they tried packaging money and draft picks into trade deals just so teams might be more at ease at the aspect of taking on such a heavy contractual obligation. But considering that one team, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS, claimed it would take the inclusion of a first-round pick to convince them to take on Tagovailoa’s deal, Miami had no choice in the end but to cut bait and move on to bigger fish.
The Dolphins shouldering the burden of the $54MM in guaranteed money still owed to Tagovailoa gave the 28-year-old quarterback the freedom to not worry about the financial aspect of his next contract. With guaranteed money on its way to the bank, Tagovailoa could accept a deal for the league minimum if that’s what it would take to land in the best situation for him.
Utilizing that freedom, Tagovailoa landed in Atlanta, where Wolfe reports new head coach Kevin Stefanski sold him on the idea of being in an open competition for the starting quarterback job with Penix. Luckily for Stefanski, this year’s quarterback battle should be a bit easier to handle than last year’s in Cleveland. The late-season battle between rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders posed a unique problem. Stefanski wanted each rookie to have the opportunity to make their NFL debuts in offenses designed specifically for them. Though they played in similar offensive systems in college, the two played with two different playing styles and threw the football with opposite hands.
In Atlanta, Stefanski now, at least, has his two quarterbacks throwing from the same side of their body. Both have starting experience but, for both, that experience came in a different offensive system that what Stefanski was doing in Cleveland. The change in leadership at the top of the coaching staff helped ease news of the competition to Penix. Instead of being told by a coach that had given him a starting job that he was losing it, Penix’s new head coach informed him of the team’s move to acquire Tagovailoa, per Wolfe, and told him to come ready to compete, when healthy.
Tagovailoa showed an incredibly high ceiling during his time in Miami, throwing for a league-leading 4,624 passing yards in 2023 and completing a league-high 72.9 percent of his passes in 11 games the next season, but his 2025 campaign is one he’ll surely want to forget. He’ll be ready to move on with a focus on utilizing a new group of weapons to beat out his incumbent competition and prove he can still be a starter in the NFL.
After getting slow played into a starting role in his rookie year, Penix displayed a safe but tepid offense through 11 games as a starter before tearing his ACL. The team hopes introducing Tagovailoa into the mix as competition will jumpstart their hopeful franchise quarterback into a higher gear, once he returns to full health. They expect Penix to be cleared to compete sometime in the offseason, at which point they will begin the competition to see who will be named the best left-handed quarterback in Atlanta since Michael Vick.
Falcons To Pursue QB Tua Tagovailoa
As expected, Tua Tagovailoa will be released by the Dolphins once the new league year begins. Among his suitors could be the other NFL team with a southpaw quarterback atop its depth chart. 
The Falcons are “making a strong early push” to land Tagovailoa, Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. Atlanta will be officially moving on from Kirk Cousins this week, creating the need for a veteran addition. Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a partial ACL tear, meanwhile, and his status for Week 1 is unclear.
Knowing his Miami tenure will soon end, Tagovailoa is free to speak with interested teams at any time. Atlanta is certainly one of them. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones deems the Falcons the “leading candidate” at the early portion of the Tagovailoa free agent period.
The Dolphins will take on a record-breaking dead money charge as a result of Tagovailoa’s release. His 2026 compensation ($56MM) is already guaranteed, meaning his next NFL contract will only need to be worth the veteran minimum. A short-term agreement can be expected with the 28-year-old as a result. Atlanta would provide Tagovailoa with a climate-controlled home and an offense featuring an intriguing skill position group. The Falcons also have a new coaching staff led by Kevin Stefanski in place.
Improved play under center will be key in avoiding the issues which led to Arthur Smith and Raheem Morris being fired. Penix will of course be counted on to develop if he can remain healthy at the NFL level, but Tagovailoa would represent an experienced QB2 option. The latter made 76 starts across his six-year Dolphins tenure.
As a low-cost option, Tagovailoa could represent an intriguing addition. A stretch atop Atlanta’s depth chart might boost his market for next spring while helping the Falcons end their playoff drought in the event of a return to his previous form.
Jets Looking Into Tua Tagovailoa As Free Agent; Latest On New York QB Plan
Another Jets quarterback search is afoot. With Justin Fields on track to be released, the team may be set to launch a lower-cost effort to staff the position in 2025. One potential candidate is at least a high-profile (and familiar) option.
The Jets are among the teams looking into Tua Tagovailoa, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. While confirming the Jets are considering multiple options, Garafolo places Tagovailoa among them. The Dolphins have not released Tagovailoa yet, but that move is expected to happen due to the QB’s contract being viewed as untradeable.
Arizona is cutting the cord on Kyler Murray, who will be released if no trade can take place. Both Murray and Tagovailoa loom as low-cost free agent options in situations that remind of Russell Wilson‘s 2024 setup. After the Broncos released Wilson, he signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum. That stuck the Broncos with the tab, as a larger Pittsburgh deal would have trimmed some of Denver’s dead money. Tagovailoa is due $54MM guaranteed; he will be a candidate to sign for the vet minimum, as the Dolphins are poised to break the Broncos’ single-player dead money record soon.
If/when Miami releases Tagovailoa, he will count $99.2MM in dead cap across the next two years — with a post-June 1 designation the only way the team can realistically move on from this ill-advised extension. Because a post-June 1 designation will be used, the Dolphins cannot cut Tua until March 11. But they could allow him to look for a new team. The Broncos proceeded this way with Wilson in 2024. It is not believed the Dolphins have let Tagovailoa shop around yet.
The Jets have played against Tagovailoa for the past six seasons; their new DC (Brian Duker) was on Miami’s staff previously. The Vikings join the Jets in looking into the left-handed passer. While it is unclear if either Minnesota or New York have Tua as the favorite for a vet-minimum slot — Murray has been on the Vikes’ radar for a while — the Jets have some other options in play.
New York may not stop at one veteran arm, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. Even if free agent Tyrod Taylor is in play to return — though, that is far from certain — the team will have multiple open roster spots at the position. Lower-cost options will likely be where this process lands, per Cimini, who mentions possible trade avenues — for Tyson Bagent (Bears), Tanner McKee (Eagles) or Spencer Rattler (Saints) — as a way to fill one of the positions. Teams are asking the Broncos about Jarrett Stidham, whom Jets GM Darren Mougey overlapped with in Denver. Bagent has generated trade interest, and while Rattler makes sense as a move candidate given Tyler Shough‘s emergence, no trade rumors have surfaced about the Saints backup.
Tabbing a starter option in this draft seems unlikely for the team, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes, pointing to the 2027 draft as the better place to take this swing. Several teams will undoubtedly consider this plan, with the 2026 QB crop not viewed as strong beyond likely Raider Fernando Mendoza. While some Ty Simpson buzz has percolated, the Jets will not be a candidate to draft him second overall. An edge rusher appears the plan for Gang Green there.
Instead, a move for a QB on Day 2 or Day 3 could fill out the team’s QB room, Hughes adds. The Eagles have McKee, whom Hughes also links to the Jets as a potential option, under contract for one more season. He served as Jalen Hurts backup last season, after Philly traded Kenny Pickett to begin a busy travel year for the former first-rounder. A former sixth-round pick, McKee drew trade interest before last season as well. He has also been tied to the Vikings as they search for J.J. McCarthy competition.
The Jets have taken a stopgap route at QB before, tabbing Josh McCown to start in 2017 as the team waited on a talented 2018 rookie class. That season (and a 2018 trade with the Colts) produced Sam Darnold at No. 3 overall. With the Jets holding two first-round picks in 2027, what is expected to be a loaded QB draft class could be in play. It will be interesting to see if Aaron Glenn signs on for such a plan, as his seat is warmer after a 3-14 debut season.
Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano likewise confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want to make McCarthy earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
QB-Needy Teams Have Options Through Draft, Free Agency
It’s really not a surprise at this point in time, but reports indicate that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza getting drafted No. 1 overall by the Raiders is all but a sure thing. Mendoza cemented himself as the likely first overall pick even before the Hoosiers’ championship run through the College Football Playoff secured his Heisman win, and as soon as Las Vegas secured the top pick in the draft, Mendoza’s move to Nevada became a near certainty. 
Nothing is ever 100% sure, though, and there is always a possibility that the Raiders look at next year’s wide crop of quarterback prospects and an historic trade offer for the No. 1 overall pick and choose that route.
Overwhelmingly, though, pundits across the media spectrum believe that Vegas will retain their top overall pick and make things official with Mendoza. During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer dropped a number of quotes, saying, “I would be stunned if (Mendoza) didn’t go No. 1, right? I think it’s highly unlikely he goes anywhere but Vegas.”
Over at ESPN, a crew of reporters polled several NFL executives on the topic at the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and Super Bowl, and eight executives believed the Raiders would keep the pick, while no votes were tallied against that possibility. Separately, ESPN’s Rich Cimini asked Jets general manager Darren Mougey about the possibility of reaching out to Vegas to inquire about moving up, and he stated pretty plainly, “I don’t think that’s happening.” Courtney Cronin, another ESPN contributor, added to the crowd yesterday with a piece on Mendoza’s meeting with the Raiders and his excitement at the prospect of potentially being mentored by minority team owner Tom Brady.
Now, for teams with a need at quarterback not located in Sin City, the other obvious solutions are to go after one of the top free agent quarterbacks available — namely, Green Bay’s Malik Willis or Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones — or attempt to trade for San Francisco’s Mac Jones. After impressive 2025 contributions, both Joneses are expected to stay home, though, and only one team will get to claim Willis as a solution, but there is still a solvable equation for the teams that remain.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the teams that are still looking to acquire a passer after the above dust settles will be able to look toward either the litany of veteran quarterbacks with starting experience available for cheap or the numerous rookie passers who may be worth taking a flyer on or some combination of both.
Rapoport points to several veteran former starters who are thought to be release candidates and who may, in the same vein as Russell Wilson, be able to play for the veteran minimum, thanks to the added security of guaranteed money from the teams who may let them go. This situation would apply to players like Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and Geno Smith.
Teams can sign one of these quarterbacks to audition for a Jones-like comeback opportunity then pair them with a young, rookie option that may be available later on in the 2026 NFL Draft. After Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson has drawn some first-round interest, but there is a perceived drop off in the arms that follow. The next names on the list — LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, etc. — could fall anywhere in the draft.
Some see 2026 much like the 2022 NFL Draft, in which Kenny Pickett was the only Day 1 quarterback, and the next passer was taken in the third round. Others believe 2026 could be more like 2018 or 2024, when two passers were widely viewed as first-round talents but several others drifted into the first round based on the number of teams looking for answers at the position.
With many already looking forward to the quarterback prospects of the 2027 NFL Draft, we may see multiple teams opt to employ the services of a veteran starter alone or combined with a promising rookie. These decisions will play out over the next few weeks as the veterans hit free agency after release and draft grades are determined for rookies, but there are several options available to teams looking for quarterback help for 2026.
Tua Tagovailoa Drawing Interest As Potential FA, Not Trade Target
The Dolphins will part ways with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, and the entire NFL knows it.
As a result, other teams are not interested in the 27-year-old quarterback as a trade target, per Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline. There are multiple clubs, however, who would pursue Tagovailoa as a free agent. All they have to do is wait for Miami to cut him.
Moving any draft capital for Tagovailoa to then take on his massive contract – including $54MM in guaranteed compensation in 2026 (via OverTheCap) – is an over-investment in an asset that has rapidly depreciated over the last two seasons. Signing him as a free agent, however, would cost no draft picks and only a veteran-minimum salary, since Tagovailoa would still be receiving his pay from Miami.
Perhaps an enterprising general manager with plenty of extra cap space could take a creative approach.
The Dolphins are just $772K over the 2026 salary cap and badly need to clear space just to fill their roster, sign their draft class, and field a team this season. Releasing Tagovailoa will incur a dead cap charge of $99.2MM, some of which can be pushed into 2027 with a post-June 1 designation. That will still add $11.1MM to their balance sheet this year. That can be offset with a post-June 1 release of Bradley Chubb, but the Dolphins’ new regime probably wants to do more than balance the budget in their first offseason.
Back to that enterprising GM: he could try to acquire Tagovailoa via trade and ask the Dolphins to give him better draft capital in exchange for taking on his massive salary. Miami would not package Tagovailoa and a draft pick in exchange for no return, but perhaps a pick swap upgrading one of the acquiring team’s selections could be equitable.
The new club would have a potential bridge starter, and the Dolphins will have minimized the financial impact of moving on from their former first-round pick. There are also a number of teams that need to spend rather aggressively this offseason to meet the league’s three-year cash spending requirement, and absorbing Tagovailoa’s salary is one way to contribute to that effort.
Still, the most likely path is an outright release followed by Tagovailoa signing for the veteran minimum with a new team. He will likely be looking for a starting opportunity, or at least the potential to earn one.
Tua Tagovailoa Has Not Requested Trade
As it stands, the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa chapter is nearing an end. Most likely, that conclusion will come via release. No trade market is believed to exist for the slumping passer, and the Dolphins have been closely linked to Malik Willis.
A Tagovailoa release would tag the Dolphins with a record-setting $99.2MM. While that could be spread over two years via a post-June 1 designation, it would make reuniting Willis and new HC Jeff Hafley difficult. Tagovailoa has spoken highly of a fresh start, but new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the six-year veteran has not requested a trade.
“We’re evaluating the entire roster,” Sullivan said at the Combine. “As it pertains to Tua, we’ve had conversations with Tua and his representation. Everything is on the table, including the potential of a trade. We don’t know which way that’s going to go. There’s a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had.”
These comments remind of Sullivan’s most recent remarks from a Dolphins fan event, where the former Packers exec mentioned he had spoken to Tagovailoa about his future. It would surprise if Miami found a trade taker. In the event one does form, the Dolphins would need to eat plenty of the southpaw QB’s $54MM 2026 guarantee.
With Zach Wilson a free agent, the Dolphins have Quinn Ewers — their end-of-season starter following Tua’s benching — as a possible starter. Sullivan reiterated he plans to infuse his new QB room with competition. That would point to a free agency addition and a draft choice coming in. This is not viewed as a deep quarterback class on either front, potentially pointing to Ewers — a 2025 seventh-round pick — having a legitimate shot to start in the event Miami cannot lure Willis.
As PFR’s Dolphins Offseason Outlook notes, Miami will need to act by March 13. Another $18MM guarantee — via a $15MM option bonus and $3MM 2027 salary guarantee — will vest for the embattled QB on that date. It would be stunning if Tua remained a Dolphin after that date. It is widely expected this process will remind of the Broncos’ 2024 Russell Wilson ending, when the AFC West team cut the disappointing arm to bring a record-shattering $84.6MM in dead money. The Dolphins are on the verge of eclipsing that number by a wide margin, barring something unforeseen.
Cardinals Expected To Pursue QB Malik Willis; Latest On Dolphins’ QB Plans
In a year featuring a quarterback draft class that is perceived to be a weak one outside of presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, soon-to-be free agent Malik Willis is becoming a hot commodity. We have already heard that the Browns, Dolphins, and Steelers could be involved in Willis’ market, and Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports hears the Cardinals will be in on Willis as well.
In fact, Pauline’s sources predict Willis ultimately will land in Arizona. The most recent reporting on the Cards’ incumbent QB1, Kyler Murray, indicated the club is undecided as to how it will proceed with the former No. 1 overall pick, who is already guaranteed $36.8MM in compensation for the upcoming season. That said, it would come as no surprise if the Cardinals move on, with a trade the preferred option but a release looking like the more realistic outcome.
Assuming Murray is done in the desert, as Pauline believes, the Cardinals will need to add to their QB room. While Jacoby Brissett played well in relief of Murray last season and could serve as a stopgap solution – he is under contract through 2026 – the 33-year-old journeyman does not profile as a long-term option.
Willis, who will turn 27 in May, could fit that description. The former third-round pick of the Titans has spent the past two years as a backup to Jordan Love in Green Bay, and though his playing time has been limited, he has flashed enough potential to generate notable interest. In his Packers tenure, which includes a 2-1 record as a starter, Willis has completed 70 of 89 passes (78.7%) for 972 yards and six touchdowns without throwing a pick. He has added 42 carries for 261 yards and three TDs.
Like the Cardinals, the Dolphins would prefer to trade their own former first-round signal-caller, Tua Tagovailoa, but are likely to be forced to release him. Pauline confirms that Tagovailoa is not expected to be back with the ‘Fins in 2026, and he says there is an “overwhelming belief” that Miami’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley, wants to bring Willis to South Beach.
Hafley spent the past two seasons as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, and the Dolphins’ new GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan, was a Packers staffer for 22 years before Miami brought him aboard last month. Their connection to Willis is therefore understandable, though the club’s unenviable salary cap situation could make it difficult for them to compete for his services.
At present, the ‘Fins have just $3.18MM of cap room, and even after more cost-shedding moves, they may not be in a position to win a bidding war. That could point them to a cheaper option like Jimmy Garoppolo.
In that scenario, Garoppolo would not necessarily be handed the QB1 mantle. After all, Bobby Slowik, who was recently promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator, is said to be a “big fan” of 2025 seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers.
Ewers held his own over the final three games of the ‘25 campaign, his first taste of regular season action in the pros. Pauline’s sources believe the Texas product deserves a chance at a longer audition, particularly since he was seen as a Day 2 prospect who surprisingly fell to the seventh round. If the Dolphins cannot land Willis, Pauline hears the team plans to give Ewers a chance to start while bringing in an inexpensive veteran like Garoppolo to function as the backup.