Miami Gardens, Florida — There’s nothing left to play for this season miami dolphins let’s see what they got quinn evers,
Seventh Round Newbie will start at quarterback In place of tua tagovailoaWho has likely played his final game for the franchise that gave him a $212.1 million contract through 2024 — although a trip to Miami that way would be unprecedented in terms of its cost.
A complicated upcoming offseason for the Dolphins added another wrinkle with the news of Tua’s benching.
So, what does this mean for the future of the Dolphins, Ewers and coach Mike McDaniels? Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN senior writers Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, and draft analyst Matt Miller answer the most important questions.
why now?
Because frankly, he’s been one of the most ineffective quarterbacks in football over the past month and a half — despite the Dolphins winning five of their last seven games. Since Week 10, he ranks 30th in QBR and 24th in passing yards. Although his play did not hurt the Dolphins during their four-game winning streak entering Week 15, his performance against the Steelers was enough to influence McDaniels’ decision.
In three quarters against Pittsburgh, Tagovailoa completed 6 of 10 passes for 65 yards and also had an interception that even McDaniels could not defend.
McDaniel said of the game, “I think the Steelers had a good plan and they already knew where we were trying to attack.” “I think Tua didn’t look at (the cornerback), which is a big thing. He didn’t look at the hanging corner. He threw it out of the break. That’s not an ideal play, and throwing to the opponent made matters worse.”
Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a career-high 15 interceptions this season, and turning the ball over is one of McDaniels’ favorite complaints. Combine this with the Dolphins’ mathematical elimination from playoff contention, and it makes sense for the team to turn to a rookie — who is quietly impressing behind the scenes. , louis-jacques
What does this mean for Tua’s future with the team?
Benching means that, at best, he’s a bridge quarterback for Miami next year and, at worst, a free agent looking to be a bridge to someone else.
Next up are the teams I’ve talked to that view Tagovailoa’s $54 million guarantee as immovable via trade unless the Dolphins cover a significant portion of the contract, and even that doesn’t guarantee him a market. The game wasn’t exactly good this year, and scouts saw a lagging player who wasn’t as light as two years ago. His concussion history and the pair feuding with Tagovailoa could be a tough sell for a team evaluating him as a starter in 2026.
But the Dolphins are only as good as their replacements. If Evers performs in these final three games, he will serve as both a starting option next year and a sunk cost for Miami due to his rookie contract. Miami and Tagovailoa could sell a reconciliation, assuming the quarterback rededicates himself to the job and Miami accepts it’s stuck with him. But we saw this script Russell Wilson ,When a team is done with a high-priced, underperforming veteran QB, it doesn’t make sense to keep him. It appears Miami is ready to start with a draft pick or a veteran quarterback signed or traded from elsewhere. , Fowler
Considering his contract, how difficult would it be for the Dolphins to move on from him?
Tagovailoa has $54 million in fully guaranteed compensation in 2026. That’s split between a $39 million salary and a $15 million option bonus that needs to be exercised between the first and third days of the 2026 league year in March. Additionally, on the third day of the 2026 league year, $3 million of his $31 million 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed. So if he is on Miami’s roster by 4pm ET on March 13, the Dolphins will be on the hook for $57 million guaranteed.
If they release him before that date, they will still have to give him $54 million in cash in 2026 and absorb $99.2 million in dead salary cap fees. (They could spread it out over two years if they designated him for release after June 1, but they would still take on $67.4 million in dead money charges on the 2026 cap and the remaining $31.8 million in 2027.) If they find a way to trade Tagovailoa before March 13, the acquiring team would be responsible for another $54 million in 2026 salary and bonuses for the Dolphins. Dead-money charges would drop to $45.2 million. If they trade him after March 13, they’ll likely be stuck with a $15 million option bonus, while the new team will take home a $39 million salary; The Dolphins’ dead-money fee will be $60.2 million.
Neither of these is even close to ideal, obviously, as it would leave Miami in a terrible cap situation and also without a quarterback. The Broncos took on $80 million in dead-money fees (spread over two years) when they released Wilson in 2024, and they managed to make the playoffs last season and currently hold the 1-seed in the AFC playoff field for this season. Such a huge dead-money fee doesn’t necessarily ruin a team’s chances. But one reason it works for Denver is that it finds a first-round QB bo nix Who can play immediately. –Graziano
McDaniels was tasked with maximizing Tua’s potential. What does this suggest about McDaniels’ future with the team?
He did it. Tagovailoa improved significantly in 2022 and led the NFL in passing yards the following season. But his durability concerns have spilled over into his decision-making to such an extent that Tagovailoa appears hesitant to take risks with his body — which is understandable given his history of concussions.
McDaniels did not draft Tagovailoa, but he advocated for his extension with then-general manager Chris Grier, who was fired in mid-season. It will be interesting to see them develop another franchise quarterback. results of his time teddy bridgewater, skylar thompson And tyler huntley The mix was disappointing, but he got another chance with Ewers for the next three weeks. , louis-jacques
What does Ewers’ pre-draft scouting report tell us about what we should expect from him?
Ewers was a three-year starter at Texas and threw 68 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions in his 37 career games. He was precise when able to play out of the clean pocket, and the touch and timing he showed in Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense will be perfect for what the Dolphins want to do with underneath and crossing routes designed to get wide receivers in space.
Ewers ran into trouble when he had to move around in the pocket to make plays or when dropping under coverage after the snap confused him. But when he makes the right reads pre-snap, he can draw a defense – and that’s what the Dolphins will want him to do to get early success. –Miller
What do the Dolphins see in Ivers relative to other backups? zach wilson,
The Dolphins know what Wilson is, and didn’t bring him in to replace a healthy Tagovailoa. But Ewers was drafted as a developmental player who now has an opportunity to take on a valuable developmental rep role.
With three weeks remaining in the season, it’s almost a win-win situation for Miami. If Ewers performs well, the Dolphins could have a potential future starter. If he doesn’t and the team loses its next three games, it will strengthen Miami’s draft position. , louis-jacques
What will be the reaction in the locker room?
The locker room usually knows when it’s time to make a change. If Evers does the work needed, he could inject some life into the Dolphins passing game, which has been lacking for the past month.
Tagovailoa is a team captain, but came under criticism both inside and outside the locker room for his comments about his teammates’ attendance at player-led meetings at the beginning of the season. He has since apologized for his comments but was seen laughing at the Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey Minutes after Monday night’s loss. It’s unclear whether that moment upset Miami’s locker room, but it was a sore sight after another disappointing performance. , louis-jacques
