NFL news: Tua Tagovailoa open to fresh start away from Dolphins after being benched

Tua Tagovailoa appears ready to leave the Miami Dolphins – a feeling that appears to be mutual between both parties.

Tagovailoa was on the bench for the final three games of the season due to poor performances. A day after the Dolphins’ season ended with a 38-10 loss to division rival New England, the sixth-year signal-caller seemed open to the idea of ​​a “fresh start.”

Mike McDaniel talks with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) in the fourth quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on September 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

“That would be great. That would suit me,” Tagovailoa said Monday, according to The Palm Beach post, when asked specifically if he was “hoping for a fresh start.”

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When another reporter asked him if he meant by “fresh start” playing “elsewhere,” Tagovailoa reportedly confirmed it.

Those remarks came the same day head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed the team would enter the 2025-26 season with a competitive mindset for the position.

“In 2026, I think there will be competition for our starting quarterback. What that is and what that looks like remains to be seen. It’s the most important position on the football field, and you have to make sure you’re doing everything you can to have the best person on the field.”

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leaves the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

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“Who it is – whether they’re internally or elsewhere, that’s something we’ll be extremely diligent about,” he continued. “But I know there will be competition for those reins. That’s what I know.”

Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns this season, but he struggled with accuracy and mobility, throwing a career-high 15 interceptions. His poor performance comes just one season after signing a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million in July 2024.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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Dolphins facing a serious decision regarding Tagovailoa, as his release next year would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the decision is designated as a post-June 1 release, those fees would be spread over two years, with $67.4 million allocated toward the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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