Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, the quarterback, dispelled doubts about his long-term durability in 2023 with a career-best season. Though Tagovailoa’s problems have kept the Dolphins out of the NFL playoffs, there is still discussion about Tagovailoa’s replacement.Miami would have very few options. It lacks the assets necessary to move up for the number one choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, and there are no indications that an All-Pro quarterback will ask for a deal this offseason. Nonetheless, certain opportunities arise through risk-reward trades and free agency.
Over the past two seasons, Tagovailoa has performed admirably during the regular season and taken on a leadership role in the Dolphins’ locker room. Of course, winning a Super Bowl is the ultimate aim, and the front office may need to look at other options due to the quarterback’s limitations.
Here are 3 quarterbacks who could replace Tagovailoa as the Dolphins’ starter in 2024.
Considering the other team needs for Miami, the Dolphins’ best option if trying to replace Tagovailoa is to sign Kirk Cousins in free agency. While he carries more risk coming off a torn Achilles, he also wouldn’t cost any draft capital to acquire. Instead, the Dolphins could sign him and trade Tagovailoa.
Some will argue that Cousin’s numbers in the playoffs – 93.7 QB rating, 1-3 record – would disqualify him as a replacement. However, upgrading over Tagovailoa is entirely about finding a quarterback who doesn’t put a ceiling on this offense. He’s great when operating within the basic structure of the play call by Mike McDaniel, but it’s chaos when Tagovailoa has to create on his own.
