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Tua Tagovailoa appears ready to move on from the Miami Dolphins — a feeling that seems mutual between the two sides.
Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games of the season due to poor performance. A day after the Dolphins’ season ended with a 38-10 loss to division rival New England, the sixth-year signal caller seemed open to the idea of a “fresh start.”
Mike McDaniel talks with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) during the fourth quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“It would be dope. I’d be good at it,” Tagovailoa said Monday, according to The Palm Beach Post, when asked specifically if he’s “hoping for a fresh start.”
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When another reporter asked if he understood “fresh start” to mean playing “somewhere else,” Tagovailoa confirmed it.
The statements came on the same day that head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that the team would approach the 2025-2026 season with a competitive mindset for the position.
“In 2026, I think there will be competition for our starting quarterback. What that is and what that looks like remains to be seen. It’s the most important position on the football field and you have to make sure you do everything you can to get the best person out there on the field.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., on Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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“Whoever it is — whether they’re in-house or somewhere else, that’s something we’re going to be extremely diligent about,” he continued. “But I know there will be competition for those reins. That much I know.”
Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns this season, but he struggled with accuracy and mobility and threw a career-high 15 interceptions. His poor performance comes just one season after signing a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in July 2024.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
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The Dolphins face a serious decision regarding Tagovailoa, as releasing him next year would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a post-June 1 release, those fees would be spread over two years, with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.
