The 2025 season has been very disappointing for the Miami Dolphins.
Amid the struggles of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, they have slumped to a 2-7 record, and their playoff chances are currently slim. A poor start to the season saw general manager Chris Grier fired after Week 9.
Despite signing a contract extension in 2024, there has been plenty of criticism of Tagovailoa. The quarterback currently has the highest interception rate of his career, throwing a pick on 4.1% of his passes. He’s also averaging just 197.7 passing yards per game, the lowest mark since his rookie year.
Is It Possible for the Miami Dolphins To Trade Tua Tagovailoa After the Season?
Despite the criticism, Tagovailoa has told reporters he’s not concerned about his job security, instead focusing on winning games. “I wouldn’t say I’m playing to keep my job. I think I’m playing to help our team win every time. I think that’s the objective for every quarterback that’s playing […] Â I would say my performance needs to be better,” he said in a press conference.
— NFL (@nfl1517) November 6, 2025
Changes are expected to come for the Dolphins after the end of the season. Their general manager was already fired, but Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel are under pressure to turn the ship around before the end of the season.
The financial aspect of Tagovailoa’s contract could be problematic for the Dolphins. The cap hit for the quarterback will rise to $56.4 million in 2026, and he’ll have a dead cap hit of $99.2 million for the season.
Moving him, whether via release or a trade, will be difficult. The Dolphins could save up to $43 million if he’s released with a post-June 1 designation, spreading the impact through 2026 and 2027.
But, they’ll have to take a dead-cap hit of approximately $45 million. Only the Denver Broncos took a higher dead cap hit in the history of the league, which came when they released Russell Wilson following the 2023 season.
Another factor is that the Dolphins currently have just under $998,000 available in cap space for the upcoming season. Despite expectations that names such as Tyreek Hill could be moved, finding a balance between competitiveness and rebuilding is never easy.
That’s especially true when you have a quarterback with a hefty contract whose production does not match his current price.
In the 2025 season, Tagovailoa currently has 1,779 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He’s also completing 67.9% of his throws, down from his career-best 72.9% mark of the previous season. The pressure is rising for better performances until the end of the year.
