Tua Says Fresh Start 'Would Be Dope' After Benching amid Dolphins, McDaniel Rumors

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sounds open to embracing a new opportunity following a disappointing 2025 NFL campaign.

Asked Monday about potentially receiving a "fresh start" this offseason, the 2023 Pro Bowler responded it "would be dope."

The comment is only going to increase the speculation over Tagovailoa's future in South Florida.

The southpaw was sidelined for Miami's final three games of the regular season after getting benched in favor of seventh-round draft pick Quinn Ewers. The demotion raised obvious questions about whether there's a path back for him to be the franchise QB moving forward.

Tagovailoa didn't deliver on the field. In 14 starts, he threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His 190 passing yards per game and 88.5 passer rating were his lowest since his rookie year.

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Beyond the raw numbers, one scout believes Tagovailoa isn't "as twitchy or explosive as he was a year and a half ago."

"His feet and quickness were good enough and could help him compensate for [a] lack of elite ability," the scout told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "You don't see that anymore. He's gotten comfortable."

From a leadership standpoint, Tagovailoa also caught some heat when he made vague comments about teammates who he thought weren't doing the little things behind the scenes that are necessary to succeed.

Tagovailoa's massive contract make a separation difficult to pull off this spring.

Cutting the 27-year-old altogether would saddle Miami with a dead cap hit of $99.2 million in 2026. Designating him as a post-June 1 wouldn't soften the damage too much as it would put $67.4 million on the books in 2026 and then another $31.8 million in 2027.

When his value is at its nadir, a trade suitor may not step up, either, to provide Tagovailoa and the Dolphins with a clean exit pathway.

Both sides would undoubtedly benefit from moving on right now. The costs involved may push a divorce into 2027.