Overview
- ESPN reports Miami offered Cincinnati four first-round picks before the 2020 draft for the No. 1 slot to take Joe Burrow, and the Bengals declined to engage.
- The Dolphins have benched Tua Tagovailoa, named rookie Quinn Ewers the Week 16 starter against the Bengals, and moved Tagovailoa to emergency duty.
- League sources told ESPN Miami is prepared to move on from Tagovailoa this offseason, with Adam Schefter saying the most likely outcome is a release, though a trade could be explored with salary assistance and draft compensation.
- Contract mechanics complicate Miami’s options, including $54 million guaranteed to Tagovailoa in 2026, another $3 million guaranteeing on March 15, and a potential $99 million dead-cap charge that can be split with a post–June 1 designation.
- Both teams are out of playoff contention, and while Joe Burrow has recently voiced uncertainty about his future, he has said he expects to be in Cincinnati next season as Miami begins a GM search that will shape its quarterback plan.