Tua Benching Reportedly 'Solely' McDaniel's Decision, Can Dolphins Trade QB?

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was reportedly the one ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa as the team's starting quarterback ahead of Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and now his future with the team is up in the air as well.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday the decision to bench Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers "was solely McDaniel's." 

It was also a decision that "was not made with 2026 in mind" since the head coach "has been adamant about making decisions solely based on the current week of preparation and the upcoming opponent."

But it is impossible not to think about what it means for the future for a 6-9 Dolphins team playing out the string on a lost season, especially since Fowler also reported McDaniel's support of Tagovailoa "has waned" with the possibility "he's completely done with the quarterback."

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Trading or cutting the Alabama product is not a straightforward proposition, though, as his contract features $54 million in guaranteed money for 2026 as well as an additional $3 million in 2027 guarantees if he's on the roster on the third day of the new league year.

He has also dealt with durability issues at times during his career.

"Cutting him doesn't help them financially," an NFC executive said in Fowler's story. "I would think that they try to trade him first, but he very well could be on the roster next year."

An AFC executive went as far as to say, "They are almost stuck with him."

Trading him before June 1 gives the Dolphins a path to shed the guarantees and save $11.2 million on the cap even as they are absorbing $45.2 million in dead money, but that would require finding a suitor.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable with him as my starter if I needed one," an NFC executive said, while an AFC executive said it "will depend on free agency and the draft. And certainly not at the full dollar amount."

The Denver Broncos found themselves in something of a similar situation with Russell Wilson ahead of the 2024 season when they decided to absorb $85 million in dead cap by releasing him in March before a $37 million guarantee in 2025 would trigger.

"They should follow the Broncos' blueprint with Russell Wilson and just rip the Band-Aid off," an NFL personnel executive told Fowler. "They seem very obviously done with him."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero also referenced the Broncos' handling of Wilson when he reported on the situation Sunday but called trading Tagovailoa the Dolphins' "preferred option and maybe the most likely."

There was a time when Tagovailoa was seen as the franchise cornerstone in Miami after it selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

He also led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards as a Pro Bowler in 2023 after helping lead the team to the playoffs during the 2022 campaign.

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However, he is just 6-8 as a starter this season and leads the league with 15 interceptions. The offense didn't score a touchdown until it was down 28-3 in the fourth quarter during his most recent start against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and McDaniel made the decision to bench him for the ensuing contest against the Bengals.

Ewers threw for 260 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions in the 45-21 loss to Cincinnati.