Tua Tagovailoa’s days with the Dolphins are numbered.
Asked about Tagovailoa’s future, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said Tuesday at the NFL Combine that “everything is on the table, including the potential of a trade.”
That might be more wishful thinking than anything as the Dolphins try to recoup assets for the NFL’s leader in passing yardage in 2023 and completion percentage in 2024 instead of cutting him for a $99.2 million dead salary-cap charge.
The Dolphins could split that dead cap over two seasons by designating Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 cut if the trade market dries up.
“We don’t know which way that’s going to go,” Sullivan said. “There are a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had.”
Sullivan, who was hired from the Packers and then brought over former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach, complimented 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers’ play after he took over as starter for a benched Tagovailoa for the final three games.
“Excited about what’s ahead for him,” Sullivan said. “Tua, I thought, even though things didn’t go well at the end of the year, did some good things along the way. It’s my job to infuse competition into that room, along with every other room.”
Sullivan said that Tagovailoa, 27, has not requested a trade.
Tagovailoa’s four-year, $212 million contract keeps him under control through 2028.
Of course, one of the risks with trading for Tagovailoa is his long history of concussions. That makes him different than trading for former Cardinals franchise quarterback Kyler Murray or taking a flier on 37-year-old Kirk Cousins, who was told by the Falcons he would be released at the start of the the league year.
If the Dolphins want to keep their Green Bay connection going, Sullivan and Hafley could target Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis in free agency.
But Willis might be the free-agent quarterback with the most options and a contract that will exceed $20 million per year despite making just six career starts.
Tagovailoa could become a starting option for the Jets if he is released, but trades between division rivals are rare.