The Miami Dolphins‘ season may be over, but for head coach Mike McDaniel, the work is just beginning. McDaniel has officially put his entire quarterback room on notice, but Tua Tagovailoa’s recent comments suggest he might welcome a change of scenery more than a competition.

“I think there’ll be competition for our starting quarterback,” he said via The List – Dolphins Podcast’s post on X. “What that is and how it looks, there’s a lot of remains to be seen. It’s the most important position on the football field…I still have, I’ll meet with Tua tomorrow at 8 AM I think, first things first.”

Further, the coach didn’t shy away from acknowledging how tough the past year has been for Tua. In his view, having an honest and emotion-free conversation will be “healthy” for both sides. At the same time, McDaniel made it clear that Tagovailoa must prove his mettle again by delivering the performance the team expects from him.  

Tua struggled throughout the 2025 season. He recorded 2,660 yards, which is his lowest total since 2021. The player also threw a career-high 15 interceptions and failed to surpass the 200 mark in passing eight times this season. The situation was so bad that the team even benched him after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat them in Week 15, replacing him with rookie Quinn Ewers for the final three games. 

The player was reportedly disappointed at the decision. Now, Ewers, who won one out of three games, will probably be part of the quarterback competition, but it’s still unclear if Tua will join the race. Judging from what he said about his future with the Dolphins, it seems unlikely. 

Mike McDaniel’s QB speaks his mind about starting anew

With a 7-10 record, Mike McDaniel’s team finished third in the AFC East division and failed to reach the playoffs. With reality hitting hard and plans of big changes underway, the team may part ways with Tagovailoa. But it appears Miami isn’t the only one considering a change. The quarterback’s latest update on signaling he’s ready for a change of scenery suggests the feelings are mutual. 

“That would be dope,” he said, via ESPN’s Joe Schad. “I would be good with it.” 

His blunt response comes just one day after the Dolphins wrapped up their season. While this is a major hint at how things could unfold, the timing and his contract details could complicate things. Tagovailoa secured a whopping four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024. But the momentum hasn’t translated onto the field. He sat out six games in 2024 because of hip and head injuries and lost the starting job to Ewers in 2025 after failing to meet expectations. 

Most importantly, his contract comes with a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026. The Dolphins would lose $99.2 million in dead cap charges if they released Tua before June 1. Releasing him after that would minimize the financial blow, with the amount being spread over two seasons. Additionally, trading him also remains an option for the franchise, but they must find a team willing to absorb his salary.

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For now, Mike McDaniel turns his focus to the next quarterback and a new general manager after the firing of Chris Grier. Ultimately, the burden of sorting out this contract and its financial implications will fall on the new general manager.