To say the 2025 NFL season has gone poorly for Tua Tagovailoa would be a massive understatement.
After agreeing to a massive $212.4 million extension back in 2024, Tagovailoa watched the Dolphins string together an ugly series of losses that put their playoff chances in serious limbo, with a late run of four wins simply not enough to overcome a monster deficit. The Dolphins turned in a maddening performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football to officially eliminate themselves from postseason play, and in the end, fans will get to see Quinn Ewers close out the regular season under center, with Tagovailoa officially benched by Mike McDaniel.
With his season prematurely over and the Dolphins seemingly turning their attention to a rebuild, having already shipped away Jaelan Phillips to begin the process, fans have openly wondered if there is any market for Tagovailoa via trade, or if he will instead remain on the roster in 2026, even if the Dolphins acquire a new signal caller to test out under center one way or another, be that in the 2026 NFL Draft, in free agency, or via trade for a player like Spencer Rattler, Kyler Murray, or Tanner McKee.
But who could it be? The Las Vegas Raiders? They might have the 1st overall pick if they can lose to the New York Giants in Week 17. The New York Jets? They didn't trade away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams to just go 9-8 with a veteran team, but instead to do a rebuild of their own. The Cleveland Browns or the New Orleans Saints? They both drafted quarterbacks last season and likely want to see what they have over a high-priced veteran on bottom-5 rosters.
No, unless the Los Angeles Rams have a desperate need to replace Matthew Stafford for one reason or another, there is only really one team with a timeline that makes sense for Tagovailoa, as at this point, they really need to settle on a long-term answer under center after years of stops and starts.
Tua Tagovailoa could be the best QB option available for the Steelers
Ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have been dealing with near-constant turnover at the quarterback position.
They tried drafting a local product in Kenny Pickett in the first round who didn't do much in black and yellow, trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles to effectively be a backup during their Super Bowl run. They tried a proven Super Bowl winner in Russell Wilson and even brought in a young upside player in Justin Fields, neither of whom did enough to earn a new contract in 2025. They even went with the ultimate win-now player in Aaron Rodgers, who has the team in playoff consideration, but at 42, might not play again next season.
No, unless Mason Rudolph is finally ready to take over the QB1 spot in his age-31 season, the Steelers would be wise to finally settle on a long-term player under center now that it's clear Mike Tomlin's reign will continue on for at least one more year.
Could that be Tagovailoa? There are certainly worse options.
With a first-round pick certainly destined to fall in the 20s, the Steelers' path to a certified starting quarterback is certainly slim. They could hope Rodgers holds up for another season, hope a quarterback like Ty Simpson falls into the 20s, or even buy low on a player like Rattler, Murray, or McKee, but none of those options are guaranteed long-term fixes.
Is Tagovailoa? Well, over his six-year career at the pro level, Tagovailoa has won 44 of the 76 games he's appeared in and led the NFL in multiple categories, including completion percentage, yards, and QB rate. While some of that could have to do with playing in McDaniel's scheme, his play-calling has been anything but consistent, going from generationally prolific to downright questionable for seemingly no reason. Tagovailoa has injury concerns, sure, with his concussions leading some to wonder if he could retire early, but he's still one of the more winning quarterbacks of his era, with the Dolphins struggling mightily to get anything done consistently when he isn't under center.
For a Steelers team that has been dealing with inconsistency for the last half-decade, adding a player like Tagovailoa, who doesn't turn 28 until March, could finally provide them with a long-term answer they can build around under center over the next few seasons.
Assuming the Dolphins are willing to take a discount on Tagovailoa, both in terms of draft capital and in terms of retaining some cash to facilitate a clean break, Pittsburgh might be one of the few teams who are willing to really go all-in on the former Alabama quarterback, securing the kind of quarterback Tomlin hasn't had since Big Ben called the Steel City his professional home.
