Dolphins Get Props for Pivotal Tua Tagovailoa Decision

The Miami Dolphins made quite a few changes during the offseason, and the biggest, of course, was letting head coach Mike McDaniel walk. But, that was just the start of a series of changes for the franchise, and another big one was moving on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Now, that move is getting props.

In a feature published last week, Mike Sando of The Athletic names his favorite moves for each NFL franchise during the league’s offseason. For Miami, he thinks they did the right thing with their difficult decision of parting ways with Tagovailoa.

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He gives the team kudos for moving on from Tagovailoa as “part of a reset.”

“Giving the Dolphins credit for escaping a catastrophe of their own making shows how low the expectations bar can fall when a team misevaluates the most important position,” he states in the piece. “This reckoning was coming after the Dolphins, like the Cardinals and Jaguars, invested top-tier money in a Tier 3 quarterback. Miami finally decided to escape Tagovailoa’s contract.”

He adds: “The Cardinals did the same with Murray. Jacksonville might survive its contract with Trevor Lawrence. Miami is no longer pretending it is contending. The reset is underway, appropriately.”

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Moving on from a quarterback who’s been part of a franchise for years is always difficult. For the Dolphins, it was an understandable move, not because Tagovailoa wasn’t good but because this franchise is due for a total makeover.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:29 AM.