Right now, if you walk into the Miami Dolphins locker room and ask who the starting quarterback is, you might get three different answers and a couple of blank stares. It is January 2026, and the situation under center in South Florida has devolved from a "franchise cornerstone" plan into a full-blown identity crisis.
For years, the answer was easy: Tua Tagovailoa. But after a disastrous 2025 campaign that saw Mike McDaniel fired and Tua benched for the final three games, the depth chart is currently written in pencil—and that pencil has a very worn-down eraser.
The Current Depth Chart: Who is the QB for the Dolphins today?
As of mid-January 2026, Quinn Ewers is technically the "incumbent" starter, though using that word feels a bit generous. Ewers, the seventh-round rookie who took over late in 2025, finished the season as the QB1. He didn't exactly set the world on fire, going 1-2 as a starter with a QBR that hovered around 31.3. He’s young, he’s cheap, and he’s currently the only guy on the roster without a "for sale" sign virtually hanging around his neck.
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Then there is the elephant in the room. Or rather, the $212 million elephant.
Tua Tagovailoa is still on the roster.
Technically, he is the QB3 on the depth chart right now, which is a wild sentence to write considering the Dolphins signed him to a massive four-year extension just two summers ago. The benching was supposed to be a wake-up call, but instead, it felt like a break-up. Tua has already gone on record saying a fresh start elsewhere "would be dope," which is basically NFL-speak for "get me out of here."
Rounding out the room is Zach Wilson, whose contract contains a void clause for the 2026 season. While he provided some veteran (if we can call him that) presence last year, he is widely expected to hit free agency or be released to save what little cap space the Dolphins have left.
The Tua Contract Nightmare
You can’t talk about who is the QB for the Dolphins without talking about the money. New General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is stepping into a financial minefield. If Miami cuts Tua before June 1, 2026, they face a staggering $99.2 million dead cap hit.
To put that in perspective: that is nearly half of an entire NFL team's salary budget spent on a player who isn't even in the building.
A trade is the only "clean" way out, but who wants to trade for an underperforming quarterback with a massive salary and a history of head injuries? Rumors are swirling about a potential "salary dump" trade to the New York Jets, similar to how the NBA handles bad contracts. The Dolphins might actually have to give up draft picks just to convince another team to take Tua's contract off their hands.
Why the Dolphins Benched Tua in the First Place
Honestly, the "McDaniel Era" in Miami died because the offense became too predictable. Teams figured out that if you jam the receivers at the line and take away the first read, the whole system collapses.
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Tua's 2025 stats tell a grim story:
- 15 interceptions (led the league at the time of his benching)
- 8 fumbles
- 20 touchdowns over 14 appearances
It wasn't just the turnovers; it was the lack of "off-platform" playmaking. When the play broke down, the play was over. Fans grew tired of seeing 59-yard "moon balls" turn into underthrown interceptions. By the time Quinn Ewers was inserted into the lineup for the Week 16 game against the Bengals, the locker room vibe had soured.
The Hunt for the 2026 Starter
Since neither Ewers nor Tua feels like the long-term answer, the Dolphins are currently being linked to every available arm in the league. With a new head coach expected to be hired any day now, the search is on for someone who fits a more "physically dominant" scheme.
The Tanner McKee Rumors
One name that keeps popping up is Tanner McKee, currently the backup for the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN’s Ben Solak and other insiders have floated a trade where Miami sends a middle-round pick to Philly for McKee. He’s 25, he’s tall (6'6"), and he’s known for being conservative with the ball—basically the polar opposite of what Tua was doing at the end of his tenure.
The Malik Willis Wildcard
If the Dolphins want to go in a completely different direction, Malik Willis is a name to watch. Willis has spent the last two seasons in Green Bay looking like a completely different player than the one who struggled in Tennessee. He has the "launch codes"—a massive arm that could actually take advantage of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle’s speed in ways Tua couldn't. He’s a free agent this offseason, making him a "low-risk, high-reward" target for a cap-strapped team.
The Draft Outlook
The 2026 NFL Draft isn't exactly a gold mine for quarterbacks. Dante Moore, the Oregon standout many hoped would enter the draft, recently announced he is returning to school. This leaves guys like Fernando Mendoza from Indiana as the top options, but Miami doesn't currently have the draft capital to move up into the top three without mortgaging their entire future.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Dolphins QB Situation
A lot of folks think the Dolphins can just "release Tua and move on." It doesn't work that way. The NFL salary cap is a rigid beast. Because of the way his extension was structured in 2024, the Dolphins are basically married to his cap number for at least one more year unless they find a trade partner willing to eat some of that cash.
There’s also the "McDaniel Factor." Some analysts, like Brian Miller, suggest that Tua’s struggles were actually a result of McDaniel’s system being too "one-note." There is a slim, perhaps 10% chance, that the new head coach decides to try and "reclaim" Tua for one final bridge year while a rookie develops on the bench.
Moving Forward: The Actionable Path for Miami
The Dolphins are at a crossroads that will define the next five years of the franchise. If you are tracking this situation, here is what needs to happen for Miami to solve their quarterback problem before the 2026 season kicks off:
- Hire the Right Architect: The new head coach needs to be someone with a proven track record of developing young QBs or managing veterans. The "offensive genius" label isn't enough anymore; they need a leader who can manage a fractured locker room.
- The June 1st Decision: If no trade materializes for Tua, Miami will likely wait until after June 1st to release him. This allows them to spread that massive $99 million cap hit over two years (2026 and 2027) instead of swallowing it all at once.
- Aggressive Bridge Shopping: Don't put the season on Quinn Ewers' shoulders yet. The front office needs to target a veteran like Malik Willis or even a trade for someone like Tanner McKee to create a legitimate "three-way competition" in training camp.
- Protect the Investment: Whoever starts at QB in 2026 will fail if the offensive line isn't addressed. Jon-Eric Sullivan’s priority must be finding a "mauler" at guard and a reliable backup for Terron Armstead, who is also facing age and injury questions.
The answer to "who is the QB for the dolphins" is currently a giant question mark, but by the time the NFL Draft rolls around in April, we should finally see which way this ship is steering. For now, it's Quinn Ewers' job to lose, Tua Tagovailoa's contract to manage, and a fan base's patience to test.