Other Teams Skeptical Dolphins Can Trade Tua Tagovailoa

According to Jason La Canfora, there is skepticism from other teams that the Dolphins will be able to pull off a trade involving QB Tua Tagovailoa. 

La Canfora said sources with teams in the quarterback market have indicated to him they’re not interested in Tagovailoa, even with the Dolphins willing to pick up a big chunk of his $54 million guaranteed salary. 

“That contract is untradeable,” La Canfora quoted one GM as saying. “We already know they’re willing to eat a s–tload of it, but I just don’t see a market for him. I think they’re stuck with him, and he’s stuck with them.”

Another executive for a team explained to La Canfora that there are other concerns with Tagovailoa besides his price. 

“It’s a four-pronged problem, really for them,” they said. “One, the player can’t really push the ball down the field and isn’t a playmaker at that position. Two, there are real leadership issues there and he’s been a huge problem in their lockeroom. Guys don’t respond to him and he doesn’t come off as genuine at all. It’s like RGIII 2.0 [former NFL QB Robert Griffin III]. Three, the concussion history alone is a no-go for a lot teams. Four, it’s a terrible fu—king contract that nobody wants to touch…

“They’re going to have to suck it up and cut him, which will kill their cap, or just keep him…”

Tagovailoa is owed a staggering $54 million guaranteed in 2026, and the Dolphins will not have an easy time moving on with that kind of guarantee remaining in his contract. Releasing Tagovailoa would result in a $99 million dead money salary cap charge, which would be the largest in NFL history.

Still, that could be split over two seasons with a June 1 designation. Considering the salary cap has grown to over $300 million, that dead cap hit would proportionally be about the same as the $85 million dead money hit the Broncos took in moving on from QB Russell Wilson. 

The Dolphins have said one way or another they plan to add competition to the quarterback room this offseason. 

Tagovailoa, 27, was selected with the No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 by the Dolphins. He signed a four-year, $30,275,438 rookie contract with a $19,578,501 signing bonus. He earned a base salary of $1,010,000 in the final year of his deal.

The Dolphins picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option worth $23,171,000 for the 2024 season. 

From there, the team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth up to $212 million that included $167 million guaranteed. 

In 2025, Tagovailoa appeared in 14 games for the Dolphins and completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

We’ll have more on Tagovailoa and the Dolphins as the news is available.