The future of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was up in the air long before he was benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers late this season and before Dolphins owner Stephen Ross relieved head coach Mike McDaniel of his duties earlier in January.
On Thursday, the Dolphins held an introductory news conference for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley. Understandably, Sullivan was asked how he would handle the Tagovailoa-sized elephant hovering over the Dolphins.
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“Obviously that’s a huge question,” Sullivan responded, per Adam Stites of Dolphins Wire/USA Today. “I have a lot of respect for Tua. He’s a good football player. He’s accomplished a lot in this league. I think whether it’s Tua or anyone else, it’s unfair and irresponsible for me to sit up here and talk about anything specific without talking to the player themselves.”
Tagovailoa’s well-known injury history and his on-the-field struggles this season have left many wondering if any team will hand him a QB1 job later this year. He famously suffered a minimum of three reported concussions from the start of the 2022 season through the end of the 2024 campaign, and he missed the final two games of the 2024 season due to a hip injury. According to the StatMuse website, Tagovailoa finished the 2025 regular season with the third-most turnovers (16) in the NFL, even though he appeared in only 14 contests.
“Quarterback is the most important position in sports,” Sullivan continued. “…We will do what is best for this football team. To sit up here and tell you I have a great understanding of what we’re going to do or which way we’re going to go, that would be a lie. There’s just too much work to do, too many conversations to be had at this point.”
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History suggests that Sullivan simply can’t count on Tagovailoa to either play at a top-tier level for more than a one-off season or stay healthy for 17 consecutive games. Sullivan didn’t blame Tagovailoa for the physical issues the 27-year-old has dealt with as a pro, but the executive also admitted that it’s important he builds a roster that can keep a first-choice signal-caller in the lineup.
“We’ve all seen teams go about it in a questionable manner where they get a really good player at quarterback, but he can’t stay healthy because he’s getting killed, and he doesn’t have anyone to throw to,” Sullivan added during his comments. “So yes, we will find our guy, but we’ll make sure we’re building our infrastructure along the way so when we do find our triggerman, whoever that may be, whether it’s Tua, Quinn or somebody not in the building, they have a team they can play and win with.”
Tagovailoa is open to a “fresh start” elsewhere, but that start theoretically could involve embracing a relationship with a different Dolphins coaching staff. If such a start goes poorly, however, it could be the last time that any team takes a chance on Tagovailoa as anything other than a backup option.