Tua Tagovailoa Benching: Dianna Russini Cites Russell Wilson Example to Help Address Dolphins’ $100M Dilemma

After he proved to be responsible for yet another volatile season, the Miami Dolphins have finally decided to pull the plug on Tua Tagovailoa’s 2025 campaign. Prior to the start of Week 16, the AFC franchise announced that it would be benching the six-year veteran in favor of the rookie QB from Texas, Quinn Ewers.

The former Longhorn is expected to be the starter for the Dolphins for the remainder of the season, putting Tagovailoa’s future in serious doubt. Although if you ask Dianna Russini, there’s nothing to doubt at all, because Tagovailoa’s time in Miami expired the second that initial decision was made.

“When you bench your starting quarterback and you pay him that much money, he’s got six years experience, and the head coach that you currently have in place has been able to get the most out of that quarterback, and nothing seems to be working now? We kind of know what happens next, which is they are probably, most likely, going to have to move on from Tua.”

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.1 million extension in 2024 after leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in 2023 and guiding the Dolphins to 11 wins and a playoff berth. He is due $54 million guaranteed next season. Trading him before March 13 would result in a $45.2 million dead cap hit.

A trade after that date balloons the dead cap charge to $60.2 million. Releasing him outright before then would saddle Miami with $99.2 million in dead money — the largest cap hit in NFL history. A post-June 1 designation would allow the Dolphins to split the damage, with $67.4 million hitting the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027. Even then, it’s a massive financial wound.

Likening the Dolphins’ sunken costs in Tagovailoa to those of the Denver Broncos’ with Russell Wilson, Russini did explain that it’s not uncommon to see a team “eat a lot of money” on a particular player’s contract. The difference between the Broncos and the Dolphins, however, is that one was built to win, while the other appears to be anything but.

“This roster was built with Tua in mind. Whereas Denver, they had a good situation where most of their deals were structured in a way that, yes they were taking a hit financially, but they could get by if they could just get the quarterback. And wallah, they get Bo Nix. It works out. Where is Miami going to go? That’s the problem.”

It’s no secret that the Dolphins’ defense has holes all throughout it, but with Tyreek Hill being as good as gone, the franchise is now back to Jaylen Waddle being the only recognizable name in their receiving room as well. And that’s going to make this process a much scarier one for Miami.

Things only get more concerning when you realize that the Dolphins just fired their general manager, Chris Grier, earlier this October. That means that, from the front office to the field, the club has now lost two of its most established figureheads.

Tagovailoa had been anchoring the offense for the last six years, and Grier had been the general manager since 2016. Suffice to say, things are going to look a lot different in Miami next season. Whether or not that will be a good thing, well, only time can tell.

Their hirings and firings throughout the next few months will likely determine much more than even they may realize, and it’ll help to set the tone for the next chapter of the franchise. Then again, it is worth remembering that we are dealing with a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in a quarter of a century, so fans shouldn’t be encouraged to hold their breath.