Latest Tua Tagovailoa Rumors on Dolphins' Stance for New HC and QB's Future amid Trade Buzz

The Miami Dolphins will have a new head coach in 2026. The team may not require the new hire to be married to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa going forward, however.

Albert Breer of SI.com reported Monday that "my feeling is the Dolphins, based on the quarterback's play, won't be looking for a coach who wants to keep him. If a good candidate does, that's fine. But I don't think wanting to move on will work against anyone in the chase for that job. And that makes this year different from where they were in 2022."

That approach makes sense. Tagovailoa was awful in 2025, throwing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while completing 67.7 percent of his passes and taking 30 sacks. The Dolphins were 6-8 in his starts and benched him for the final three games of the regular season.

The 27-year-old was a Pro Bowler in 2023 but has regressed in each of the past two seasons, with a long injury history not helping matters. The Dolphins are probably married to him through at least the 2026 season, given the massive dead cap they'd incur by releasing him before then, though the cap ramifications for moving on won't be quite so intense after that.

So it wouldn't be shocking if the team addressed the quarterback position in this year's draft, leaving Tagovailoa as a potential bridge option while his successor waited in the wings. The Dolphins don't pick until No. 11 in the first round, however, so they won't have their pick of the litter. But it's clear that the team needs to go in a new direction at the position.