Mike Florio ,
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The Dolphins will have a new General Manager by 2026. They likely will have a new head coach. Whether they have a new quarterback is a $54 million question.
That’s the amount Tua Tagovailoa is owed next season, fully guaranteed. They don’t have to play him. They will have to pay him.
Assuming a new coach would want a new quarterback, having Tua under contract for 2026 could make the Miami job less attractive to candidates with options. (Other factors inherent to the organization could make quality candidates think twice, too.) Unless, of course, the Dolphins manage to earn the first pick and the ability to hand pick a rookie who would replace Tua by 2027, if not sooner.
However it plays out, Tua’s contract includes a $54 million ball-and-chain for 2026. And it was an avoidable situation. They gave him $150 million fully guaranteed over three years when they did not have to . Who were they competing against, other than common sense?
It’s one of the biggest reasons Chris Grier is gone. It’s one of the biggest reasons Mike McDaniel will be following.
Unless, of course, the organization decides to keep Tua in 2026 and concludes that it’s better to have him coached by McDaniel.
That seems unlikely. With the Dolphins, however, you never know what they’ll do. And that’s not the good kind of unpredictable.
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