Dolphins predicted to cut ties with Tua Tagovailoa for rising 30-TD QB prospect

The Miami Dolphins don't appear poised for a great season based on the current state of the team. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains at the helm, but recent trades suggest that head coach Mike McDaniel could be entering his final year with the organization.

“All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote.

What’s concerning for Tagovailoa is that a coaching change could signal the end of his time in Miami.

“His contract guarantees his pay through 2026. If the Dolphins fall flat and change coaches, the next coach likely will want a fresh start at quarterback. While the cap charges will complicate a split before 2027, every high-end quarterback contract eventually leads to a big cap charge when the relationship ends. The next coach (and the next G.M., if owner Stephen Ross cleans house) may want to rip the Band-Aid off in one motion,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote.

The Dolphins seem to have lost confidence in Tagovailoa after the challenges he’s faced over the past few seasons. For all these reasons, Pro Football Network’s Mark Stolte believes McDaniel will be fired, Tagovailoa will be let go, and the team will look to draft a new quarterback in 2026.

“If the Miami Dolphins are picking this high, it’s time to say goodbye to Tua Tagovailoa. The Mike McDaniel experiment is also very likely over, and with that, the Dolphins’ new head coach gets to bring in his choice at quarterback. In this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, the franchise hires Joe Brady as the new head coach and he wants Fernando Mendoza running his offense,” Stolte wrote.

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Mendoza, who will suit up for the Indiana Hoosiers this season, is considered an under-the-radar prospect. However, he’s expected to have a breakout year and significantly boost his draft stock.