Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Tua Tagovailoa

Thursday, March 5, 8:21 AM

The Miami Dolphins have been unable to find any takers in a trade for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his contract, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. One high-ranking team executive told Jones that he had considered taking on Tagavailoa, but only if Miami "would send a first-round pick to take on the freight of his contract." Jones writes that the odds have been overwhelmingly in favor of the Dolphins exercising Tagovailoa's 2026 option at some point after the start of the new league year and then releasing him as a post-June 1 designation, which will spread the $99 million dead-salary cap hit over two seasons and allow the former first-rounder to sign with another team on the veteran minimum. Because of Tua's history of playing poorly in bad weather, a warm-weather team or a team that plays in a dome makes the most sense. The 28-year-old's declining play over the last two years and history with head injuries mean he'll most likely be competing for a starting job in 2026 in a best-case scenario.