BREAKING: Dolphins Confirms More Bad News On Tua Tagovailoa with $34 Million QB as Alternative
The Miami Dolphins were optimistic that backup quarterback Tyler Huntley would show improvement between his first and second starts. Despite a narrow 15-10 road victory against the struggling New England Patriots, Huntley’s performance raised concerns among Dolphins fans, especially those who had high expectations for a Super Bowl run just a month ago. Following their win, Miami entered a bye week, which provides Huntley additional time to familiarize himself with the offensive scheme and leverage the speed of his teammates. This break also allows Tua Tagovailoa time to recover from the third confirmed concussion of his NFL career, sustained in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
Overall, the Dolphins’ situation seems better than it was a couple of games ago, following a blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans, where they faced backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. However, the atmosphere in South Florida is still relatively bleak compared to the peak of Mike McDaniel’s offense about a year ago, when the team seemed destined for great things.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 5, the Dolphins have roughly four weeks to evaluate Tagovailoa’s health and possibly acquire a quarterback who can step in effectively if Tagovailoa experiences setbacks during his recovery. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested that Miami should consider trading for Trey Lance, the backup QB for the Dallas Cowboys and a former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
“Tua Tagovailoa may return, but it feels irresponsible to trust he’ll stay upright and/or safe,” Benjamin noted. “Coach Mike McDaniel was with the San Francisco 49ers when the dynamic but unpolished Lance was drafted high.” Lance’s tenure with the 49ers was underwhelming; he spent most of his rookie season behind Jimmy Garoppolo, briefly held the starting role in Year 2 before suffering a broken ankle, and ultimately lost his job to Brock Purdy, who led San Francisco to significant playoff success. Lance later ended up with the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
At just 24 years old and in the final year of his $34 million rookie contract, Lance’s financial burden is low, with a base salary just over $1 million this season. His trade cost likely wouldn’t exceed what the Cowboys initially gave up to acquire him, possibly even being less. While this move might not be a slam dunk for Miami, it represents an opportunity to secure a young quarterback with the potential that led to his high draft selection by a successful front office in San Francisco. Throughout his career, Lance has recorded 797 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, along with 235 rushing yards and 1 touchdown, averaging 4.4 yards per carry.