Following a disappointing 7-10 season, the Miami Dolphins cleaned house. Owner Stephen Ross fired general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel in a search for new leadership. With the help of Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, the Dolphins hired former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager.
Following that decision, the Dolphins began their search for a new head coach. After interviewing 11 different candidates, one man stood out. The Dolphins requested Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for a second interview, and less than an hour after the interview had concluded, the Dolphins offered him the job.
Now, the pair of former Packers will hope to rebuild the Dolphins. Their first task will be deciding the future of several key players. One of those players is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched following a Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.
Miami Dolphins GM Shares Thoughts on Tua Tagovailoa
Reports around the Dolphins offseason have been all over the place. Originally, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that head coach Mike McDaniel was expected to be retained for the 2026 season. Ultimately, that did not come to fruition. However, in that same report Rapoport mentioned that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not expected to be back with the Dolphins in 2026. Whether that report came from someone close to McDaniel or Dolphins ownership remains to be seen.
In his introductory press conference, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan was asked about Tua Tagovailoa. He said, “I have a lot of respect for Tua … Whether it’s Tua or anyone else, it’s unfair for me to sit up here and talk about anything until I’ve been able to talk to the player himself. To sit up here today and tell you I have a great understanding of what we’re going to do — that would be a lie.”
Former head coach Mike McDaniel had previously stated that seventh-round rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers gave the team a better chance to win, and added that he wasn’t closing the door on Ewers being the team’s starter in 2026. However, with the Dolphins going in a new direction, the possibility of retaining Tua as the team’s quarterback has emerged. As his comments suggest, Sullivan did not rule out retaining Tua. Despite his underwhelming play in the 2025 season, Tagovailoa has played at a Pro Bowl level in the past. Perhaps new management can hope Tagovailoa is able to regain that previous form.
Cap Ramifications for the Dolphins
Cutting Tagovailoa is difficult due to his $54 million guaranteed in 2026. If the team were to release him on a post-June 1 designation, that would spread his dead cap hit out across the 2026 and 2027 seasons. It would result in Miami having $67 million in dead cap for 2026 and $32 million in 2027. It would break the record for a dead cap hit, currently held by the Broncos when they moved on from quarterback Russell Wilson.
Ultimately, Miami may still be inclined to go that route, as Denver showed it is possible to compete despite significant dead cap ramifications. In their first year without Wilson, Denver made the postseason.
Dolphins New General Manager Makes Feelings Clear on Tua Tagovailoa