Uh-oh, New York Jets fans!
Don’t look now, but the rumors connecting Tua Tagovailoa to New York have already begun.
News recently surfaced that the one-time Pro Bowl quarterback is expected to be released ahead of free agency, as the Miami Dolphins are unlikely to find a team willing to trade for the $212.4 million man.
The quarterback-needy Jets have at least begun “doing work” on Tagovailoa, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
“If [Tagovailoa] gets cut, he is going to be available for potentially the veteran minimum to come in and be a starting-caliber quarterback. Financially, it makes a lot of sense. Teams are doing work on Tua. From my understanding, the Jets, [are] amongst them, doing some calls to get the fullest sense of who Tua is as a person. The Jets have multiple options when it comes to the quarterback situation, and Tua, I believe, is among those.”
Garafolo compared Tagovailoa’s situation to that of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who is also expected to be released from a lucrative contract. The Jets, of course, have been linked to Murray as well.
Tagovailoa, 28, was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. His career has featured tantalizing high points, namely a Pro Bowl appearance in 2023, when he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. Tagovailoa’s achievements also include leading the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.9) and passer rating (105.5) in 2022.
The concern with Tagovailoa is, and always has been, his health. Tagovailoa has a sustained history of concussions and could be one away from the end of his NFL career. He’s played in just 78 of 101 possible games in his career, logging one full season and missing at least three games in five of his six seasons.
Retirement rumors shrouded Tagovailoa after the 2024 season, but he returned to start 14 games in 2025. However, with Tagovailoa essentially playing in bubble wrap to minimize the odds of another concussion, he was reduced to a shell of his former self.
Tagovailoa averaged 2.55 seconds to throw in the 2025 season, the fastest among qualified quarterbacks, which made him an easy player to defend. The Alabama product finished the year with a career-worst 37.5 QBR, the fourth-worst mark among quarterbacks to throw at least 240 pass attempts, beating only J.J. McCarthy, Geno Smith, and Cam Ward.
Expect the Jets to continue being linked to every available quarterback who has taken an NFL snap. Tagovailoa is just the latest.
