Overview
- Head coach Mike McDaniel made the benching call himself, with reporting saying his support for Tagovailoa has faded after a poor stretch.
- Ewers, a seventh-round rookie, will keep starting as coaches cite his composure, clean operation of the offense and a "whippy" release.
- Tagovailoa’s contract carries about $54 million guaranteed for 2026 and a $3 million 2027 trigger, with a pre–June 1 trade still leaving roughly $45.2 million in dead money.
- Cut scenarios are costly, including about $99.2 million in immediate dead cap if released outright or $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027 with a post–June 1 designation.
- League insiders view a trade with Miami paying down salary as the most plausible path, though some executives say the team is "almost stuck," and a few cite Denver’s Russell Wilson cut as a precedent.