Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said everything was on the table at quarterback after the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Turns out he meant it. Tua Tagovailoa was benched for Quinn Ewers before Sunday’s game against the Bengals, and there’s a real chance it doesn’t stop there. Former tight end Shannon Sharpe, for one, doesn’t think Tua should be saying much at all right now.

“For me personally, he did too much talking for not to be as good as he is. He always has something to say, about this, about that. And bro, ain’t nobody trying to hear from you when you’re a middle-of-the-road to below-average quarterback. Keep your mouth closed,” Sharpe said on the Nightcap Show.

When asked about the benching, Tua didn’t lash out or point fingers.

“Naturally, I’d say I’m disappointed. That’s a normal human emotion, but outside of that, I got to do my part. My role here right now is to help whoever the quarterback is going to be for this team. I’m not happy about it, but it’s something out of my control,” Tua said about the benching.

On its own, there’s nothing wrong with that answer. But Sharpe isn’t really reacting to just one quote. This has been building all year. Players-only meetings. Calling out teammates for being late. There is visible tension with Tyreek Hill. It’s been a noisy season, and Sharpe’s point is that the production doesn’t allow him to talk much.

On the field, the issues have been hard to ignore. Too many missed reads and way too many open receivers left hanging. The numbers back it up. Tua Tagovailoa sits 30th in QBR at 36.7, one spot below Justin Fields, and his 15 interceptions are the most in the league. That’s unusual for him.

And now it may get worse. McDaniel is expected to stick with Ewers again this week, and the Dolphins have already dropped Tua to third string, a move the head coach said was “best for all parties.”

What does this tension mean for the quarterback’s future at Miami?

Tua Tagovailoa’s messy situation

The uncertainty regarding Tua’s future in Miami has been building up all season. Now, it’s probably louder than ever. But there are way too many complications if the Dolphins were to let him go next season, and any decision they make will have huge financial implications.

It all starts with the contract. Tua is owed $54 million fully guaranteed in 2026. That money isn’t moving. On top of that, another $3 million of his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster by the third day of the new league year. So whether Miami likes it or not, that $54 million is locked in. And that’s where things get complicated.

On paper, a trade looks like the least messy option. If the Dolphins can find a partner and move him before June 1, they’d shed the future guarantees, save about $11.2 million against the cap, and take on a $45.2 million dead-money hit.

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A post–June 1 release spreads the damage out. In that scenario, Miami would carry $67.4 million in dead money in 2026, actually $11 million more than keeping him would cost, and then another $31.8 million would hit in 2027. It softens the blow in one year, but it drags the problem out even longer.

The nuclear option is cutting him outright before June 1. That would dump a staggering $99.2 million in dead cap onto the books immediately, plus another $42.8 million charge.

So yes, it’s messy. There’s no clean exit here. Whatever the Dolphins decide will have to balance football reality with financial survival, and it will hinge on whether they believe there’s a better answer at quarterback waiting on the other side. If they misjudge that part, the consequences will be big.