INDIANAPOLIS– The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins are both facing seismic quarterback decisions in the coming weeks, and they're both hoping to arrive at a solution in vastly different ways — the Dolphins by moving on from Tua Tagovailoa and the Steelers by trying to re-sign Aaron Rodgers.
We kind of, sort of, figured this weeks ago with bothRodgersandTagovailoa. But when Steelers general manager Omar Khan and Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan spoke with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, the confirmation was obvious.
The Dolphins are here scouring college talent, yes, but also trying to find a trade partner for Tagovailoa.
"We've had conversations with Tua and his representation," Sullivan said. "Everything's on the table, including the potential of a trade. We don't know which way that's going to go. There's a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had.
"But, but, evaluating the roster, Quinn [Ewers] did a nice job towards the end of the year. Excited about what's ahead for him. Tua, I thought, even though things didn't go well at the end of the year, did some good things along the way."
So a couple of things are happening here: Sullivan is telling you the player the team signed to a $212.4 million contract in 2025 is on the trade block in 2026.
A general manager doesn't say that if he plans to keep that player because it means keeping a player who now knows he's not wanted. No locker room wants that.
So, the Dolphins will either trade Tagovailoa — a move that would have to include the Dolphins paying a large chunk of his $56.2 million he's owed this year. Or the Dolphins will release Tagovailoa.
Either way, the Dolphins are going to have to take on an enormous amount of dead cap space to move on from Tagovailoa. (More on that in a moment).
The Steelers, meanwhile, have similarly been talking with their quarterback. But the conversation has been much different. It's been more akin to, "Aaron please come back for 2026!"
Source: The Latest & Most Breaking News With OutKick
