For a quarterback once seen as the franchise’s savior, Tua Tagovailoa‘s future in Miami is now being discussed in terms of backup roles and dead money. The Miami Dolphins made a tough decision to bench Tua for rookie Quinn Ewers following Week 15’s embarrassing loss against the Steelers. Since then, his future has taken the spotlight with many predicting an exit from Miami. Considering his contract complexities, finding a team for trade may not be an easy road either.

The latest segment of Pro Football Talk discussed everything Tua Tagovailoa, starting right from his future beyond the Dolphins. Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms painted a harsh picture, stating that the world out there wouldn’t be as kind as he’s expecting. 

“I don’t think the league is going to look at Tua and be like, ‘Man, let’s trade a mid-round pick and pay some good money for Tua,” asserted Simms. “I think he will be immediately relegated to backup quarterback play in the NFL. I don’t see a ‘Oh, he could be a bridge here or a bridge quarterback’ type of avenues here for Tua.” 

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Reason? Many. Simms believes Tagovailoa’s height could be one of the factors that may make teams pass on him. Back in October, he himself admitted that his height held him back from getting the ball to his wide receiver. Another thing could be his athleticism. 

“He’s not very athletic,” added Simms. “There’s going to be a bunch of systems. They’re going to go, ‘Well, we like a quarterback who can throw 20-yard out routes like it’s nothing, not have to go and give the whole steroid jerk into it and try to throw 20 yards and the ball floats in the air for 35 seconds.’ So that’s where I wonder where it all goes for Tua.”

Spotrac projected a whopping $99.2 million dead money for the Dolphins if they release Tagovailoa. Perhaps he might stay, especially since head coach Mike McDaniel blamed the pressure of the starting position on his return from his third concussion, not Tagovailoa, while explaining the reasoning behind benching him. 

“Playing quarterback, be it starting quarterback and then being a franchise quarterback — these are all things that are very complex,” said McDaniel. “His M.O. had been growth, exceptional learner, and he’s always evolving. There’s compounding variables; you can’t just pinpoint one or two things. I still believe his growth can continue, but I couldn’t responsibly play this next game when I thought what the team needed was available.” 

So, Tagovailoa’s demotion might not be indefinite. For now, the 27-year-old quarterback is no longer a starter for the Dolphins’ Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The starter is rookie Ewers, while Zach Wilson remains the backup. 

Tua Tagovailoa is disappointed over Miami’s benching decision 

Shortly after McDaniel admitted Tagovailoa’s quarterback play “wasn’t good enough” in Week 15, where he surpassed his 2023 interceptions record by increasing this season’s count to 15, the Dolphins announced that he is no longer the starter. They didn’t just take him off the starting position but shifted him to third quarterback on the depth chart. His reaction? Disappointment.  

“Naturally, I’d say I’m disappointed. It’s a normal human emotion,” admitted Tagovailoa. “I’m not happy about it. But, something out of my control. I would say is the biggest thing, and it’s being honest with myself as well, had been my performance. I haven’t been performing up to the level and the capabilities that I have in the past.”

Instead of wallowing over the decision, Tagovailoa has accepted the reality. So now he plans to help the Dolphins in any way possible, after all, he’s a leader in the locker room. It’s still a wild guess that the franchise wants to have nearly $100 million in dead money over a player no longer with the team, so a trade may be the only way Tagovailoa exits Miami.