Tua Tagovailoa’s immediate future is the biggest uncertainty for the Miami Dolphins. After his lackluster performance in 2025, no one is sure if the six-year veteran will be the starter in 2026, and head coach Jeff Hafley did little to clear up the mystery.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins struggled all season. The Pro Bowler was unable to find his rhythm and finished with the worst numbers of his career:
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- 260 completions
- 384 attempts
- 2,660 yards
- 20 touchdowns
- 15 interceptions
- 30 sacks
Tagovailoa’s erratic performance led former head coach Mike McDaniel to bench him starting in Week 16, giving his spot to rookie Quinn Ewers. Now, Tagovailoa’s future seems to be in doubt.
Hafley didn’t guarantee that Tagovailoa will be his starter
In a recent interview on The Jim Rome Show, Jeff Hafley left Tagovailoa’s future up in the air. He simply stated that the starting job will go to whoever gives them the best chance of winning.
“I had a good conversation with Tua,” Hafley said. “We talked about a lot of things, but ultimately, this is going to come down to whoever we believe gives us the best chance to win.”
Although he didn’t completely rule out the Alabama alumnus, days earlier, Hafley described his ideal quarterback, saying, “I want a winner. I want a guy who has it mentally. He’s gotta have it physically.”
“I want a guy who’s got it up here (pointing to his head). And I want a guy who’s got it in his heart,” Hafley told NFL Network. “And I want a guy who’s going to be able to walk into a room, and everyone will just say, ‘That’s our quarterback.'”
Tagovailoa’s health is a massive red flag
Although 2025 was a clean year for Tagovailoa, his health is a constant source of concern for the team, especially due to the multiple concussions he has suffered.
Including his college career, the Dolphins star has suffered five concussions. The most recent was in 2024, when he spent four weeks under concussion protocol.
Entering the third year of a four-year, $212.4 million contract he signed in 2024, it seems unlikely the team will let Tagovailoa go, but that doesn’t mean Hafley is considering him as his starter.
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