Best Offseason Landing Spots for Tua Tagovailoa After Dolphins Bench QB

Back in the 2024 offseason, fresh off leading the league in passing yards, the Miami Dolphins gave quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins gave the current NFL interceptions leader the hook, per ESPN, and benched the 27-year-old in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers.

It has been a remarkable fall from grace for a player who appeared to have a bright future not that long ago. And it begs the question: What's next for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins?

One thing is almost certain—an outright release in 2026 probably isn't. Releasing the 2020 No. 5 overall pick next year would mean a record $99.2 million dead cap hit. However, if he was cut with a post-June 1 designation, that could be spread out over two years. Even a trade before June 1 would mean eating over $45 million in dead money.

That leaves a post-June 1 trade to a team unhappy with its QB situation after the NFL draft as the likeliest of a group of unlikely scenarios—and even then Miami would have to find a trade partner willing and able to take on Tagovailoa's contract until at least 2027, when his release (post-June 1) becomes far more economically feasible.

That doesn't leave a long list of potential suitors, but there are a handful of teams that could at least kick the tires on the idea.

Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Arizona Cardinals Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2027 Round 4 Pick

Miami Dolphins Get: QB Kyler Murray, 2027 Round 5 Pick

This would be a substantial move right out of the gate.

The Arizona Cardinals are in much the same boat as the Dolphins—the Redbirds have a young, highly paid quarterback, Kyler Murray, they are seemingly ready to move on from.

However, with the Cardinals sitting sixth in next year's draft amid a less-than-stellar incoming class of quarterbacks, finding a replacement may be easier said than done unless they want to start Jacoby Brissett for a full season.

Yes, the two teams would essentially be swapping one problematic contract for another, but a post-June 1 trade would leave both with a reasonable dead cap hit south of $15 million.

If Tagovailoa and/or Murray don't work out in their new homes, the Cardinals and Dolphins could then punt in 2027 without absorbing a massive cap hit. The latter could be released in 2027 for a modest $7.2 million hit, while the former would cost $13.4 million if cut loose with a post-June 1 designation.

As outlandish as it sounds, a swap between these teams might be the best way to reset under center without effectively setting a pile of money on fire from a cap perspective.

Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Las Vegas Raiders Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2027 Round 2 Pick

Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 Round 6 Pick

Many Raiders fans would likely groan at the idea of replacing Geno Smith with Tagovailoa.

What isn't in question is that the Raiders are going to be moving on from Smith after one woeful season in Sin City. Releasing the 35-year-old will cost them $18.5 million in dead cap space, but with a projected $106 million in cap space next year, the team can absorb that hit.

The Raiders are also one of the few QB-needy teams that could take on Tagovailoa's deal.

The question then becomes how the Raiders, who currently pick second in 2026, feel about next year's quarterback class—and how confident they are that a rookie could start right away.

This would mirror the Brock Osweiler-style move of taking on a bad contract for draft compensation. Vegas has needs that go well beyond quarterback and can use all the picks it can get. It has the cap space and could dump Tagovailoa in 2027 after a year as a bridge starter.

For the Dolphins, it's an expensive band-aid to tear off. But if they want to trade Tagovailoa without paying even more of his salary to facilitate a deal, this could be what it takes.

New York Jets

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

New York Jets Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2027 Round 3 Pick, Salary Compensation

Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 Round 4 Pick

Amid a group of potential trades that are all unlikely, this may be the least likely of all. Nothing would make the Dolphins look worse than Tagovailoa reviving his career in the AFC East.

However, the Jets do check a couple of the boxes required to make a trade work. Their quarterback situation is a problem. While they presently have the No. 5 pick in April, that's not going to get it done where the lone rookie quarterback who could reasonably be expected to start in Year 1 (Indiana's Fernando Mendoza) is concerned. And New York is flush with almost $93 million in cap space.

That the Dolphins would probably have to send a pick to the Jets and eat salary underlines just how hard a Tagovailoa trade will be to pull off given his contract.

However, the Alabama product could serve as either a bridge starter while a rookie acclimates to the NFL, or as a placeholder who would allow the Jets to punt to what appears to be a much stronger QB class in 2027.

Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/AJ Mast

Indianapolis Colts Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Salary Compensation

Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 Round 5 Pick

Not that long ago, the Indianapolis Colts looked to have their quarterback situation figured out. In fact, they were so confident in what they had seen from Daniel Jones that they dealt their 2026 first-rounder to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner.

Then Jones tore his Achilles, and the Colts are starting a 44-year-old emergency fill-in under center.

Odds are Jones isn't going to be close to ready to return by the start of the 2026 season. With no first-round pick, the rookie route is out. As much as Colts fans don't want to hear this, a veteran such as Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray is their best bet if they want to compete next season.

The Colts have a decent amount of projected cap space next year—about $47.6 million. If the Dolphins are willing to eat some salary and don't expect much in return for Tagovailoa, this deal makes some sense for both sides.

It also means at least nine games in a dome and one more in the state of Florida, and Tagovailoa's record in cold weather doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Los Angeles Rams Get: QB Tua Tagovailoa, 2027 Round 6 Pick, Salary Compensation

Miami Dolphins Get: 2027 Round 4 Pick

This started with a wild potential trade, and it ends with another one.

There is one seismic event that has to happen for this to even be on the table. If the Rams continue to have success that carries all the way through to the Super Bowl, it's possible Matthew Stafford could hang it up. A second Lombardi Trophy (and potential MVP award) would cement his legacy as an all-time great.

And his retirement would leave a Rams team built to win now with a massive hole under center.

The Rams have the cap space to take on Tagovailoa's contract for a year, although L.A. general manager Les Snead would likely demand the Dolphins pick up part of the tab.

Playing for Sean McVay on a winning team might even motivate Tagovailoa to agree to a restructure that would make his contract more cap-friendly.

For all his struggles of late, we are still talking about a player who led the NFL in passing yards in 2023.

If McVay can't turn Tagovailoa back into that quarterback, it's hard to imagine anyone else doing it.