You all know how I feel here, I couldn’t possibly make it more obvious than I already have, but one of the QB’s pictured above just irritates me more than anything. Take the $99M hit and make a clean break from the franchise mope.I seriously can’t imagine anyone here who wants see Tua under center for the Miami Dolphins in 2026. That being said, someone has to be the QB next season. While there are plenty of veteran QB’s that will be available, I’d prefer not to spend money there. Everyone and their mother in the NFL business lazily insists we’re going to pick up QB Malik Willis formerly of the Green Bay Packers. What deep thinkers these talking heads are. Hmmm, Malik Willis played for the Green Bay Packers and looked nice in a couple of games, clearly the Dolphins will pay him $20M per while at the same absorbing a $99M cap hit from QB Tua Tagovialoa. Yeah, NO!\
I must have said it at least 50 times, but here goes . . . Draft a QB in the 2026 Draft and maybe pick up an inexpensive QB as well, no more than a couple of million. We have more important places we need to spend and this season will not necessarily be about winning, and next years draft will have a good amount of QB draft options, a legit opportunity to grab a franchise QB. To be honest, in the little we got to see of QB Quinn Ewers, as a green rookie, he looked better than the 6 year veteran he replaced, brought energy and a cool headed vibe to the team. It definitely didn’t seem like it was too much for him, he showed definite arm talent, he showed some smarts, he showed some athleticism, and showed some of the green-ness I mentioned by sometimes getting frozen in the headlights and taking sacks. I think he has enough to work with though and should be given a fair opportunity to compete for the starting job.
As far as the draft is concerned, the one true franchise QB available won’t be available to us, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. He would be a great story here in Miami, a Miami native of Cuban descent. It’s not happening though, and the next best option in some opinions is Alabama QB Ty Simpson. He’s likely going to be a 1st RD pick, but again, it won’t be us. We need to address EDGE, CB, S and as I mentioned, we can get our franchise guy in ’27. The two QB’s I pictured are guys who don’t really stand out as elite prospects, Miami U’s Carson Beck and Penn State’s Drew Allar. Both are bigger guys, Beck 6’4 220 and Drew Allar 6’5 235. There may be better prospects like Trinidad Chambliss or Garret Nussmeier or Cade Klubnik, but I’d prefer a bigger, taller QB. Is it possible that either Beck or Allar develop to be a starting QB in the NFL, sure? Is it likely, probably not. On the flip side, I think they have as good a chance as anyone not named Fernando Mendoza of becoming a starter though.
Quinn Ewers was once a top QB prospect. Granted, that was coming out of High School, but his poor Senior Year really hurt him in the draft, if he had a better Senior Season, he almost surely would have been an easy 2nd or 3rd RD pick. He performed well in some big road games, in 2023 against Alabama, and in 2024 against Michigan. He’s a tough competitor and will play through pain. He has a quick release and can make most NFL throws. He has enough arm to sling it, and he can show nice touch on passes as well. Not sure that either Drew Allar or Carson Beck could beat out Quinn right away, but Allar seems like a decent project QB that could end up being a bargain if you can get him after RD 3. Allar has elite arm strength and can make absolutely any throw on the field. He’s been compared to Joe Flacco, and Flacco had plenty of NFL success, including a Super Bowl ring. Carson Beck is another tough competitor. He has plenty of college game experience, and he competed in the College Playoffs and did well until facing the eventual Champs, Indiana. He’d probably be more ready than Allar for sure, and could potentially challenge Quinn immediately. I do believe Allar has more upside though while Beck has a higher floor at the moment.
The big question of course will be if the Dolphins will actually purge themselves of QB Tua Tagovailoa. There are $99M reason’s not to, but I personally don’t think that should factor in. I’d prefer to swallow the entire cap hit now, I don’t foresee a trade and then if we do trade, we’ll have to absorb some cap hit next season and pay off a ton of it to make a team take Tua off of our hands, so releasing him outright before June is the way to do it. If we cut come post June 1st, I don’t know the exact dead cap hit number but it’s around $30M. I’d rather save the cap for next season, eat it this season when we’re just beginning to build. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be awful this season, but I don’t expect us to be playoff contenders in 2026 unless Buffalo goes really backwards, and New England takes a step or two back as well. The Jets have an opportunity to jump ahead with tons of draft capital and lots of cap space. That’s of course if they get it right for a change, but they have a better chance with picks #2 and #16 in RD 1, and then picks #33 and #44 in RD 2, a 4th RD pick, 2 compensatory 5th RD picks, a 6th RD pick from Buffalo and then three 7th RD picks.
2026 will be about setting a new culture here in Miami, and that starts with GM Jon-Eric Sullivan (Sully) showing fans he’s not Chris Grier and can actually draft well for this team and help fill out our roster with guys who can help right away without trading away draft capital to do so. I can’t wait to see how we fill out our roster both in the draft with our 1st RD pick, 2nd RD pick, three 3rd RD picks, andf then a 4th, 5th and 7th, as well as the Undrafted Free Agents we sign out of necesity with very little money available to spend. We will be jettisoning some players off this roster without a doubt, more than likely Tua, Tyreek and possibly Bradley Chubb as well. It’s also possible we could trade S Minkah Fitzpatrick, which would be ironic because it appears as if Minkah is actually happy and wants to be here, which would undoubtedly make me chuckle if he were to get traded for some valuable 2027 Draft capital. Just looking so forward to going about things the right way, it’s been more than two and a half decades since we have.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
oink and first
Nice write, Mike E!
We’ve lost QB Coach-to-be Nathaniel Hackett, so I’m interested to see who we get to replace him. I was actually excited to (almost) have Hackett as our QB coach, due to his development of QBs in the past.
That brings me to Drew Allar. I think Hackett could have done wonders for Allar, in the event we draft Allar come April. Now mind you, I wouldn’t touch Allar any earlier than the 4th round, more likely in the 5th… this coming from a PSU guy.
Allar doesn’t suck, but he doesn’t have ‘IT’… he always came up short in critical games and late in the season. Remind you of someone we know? *Cough, Tua, cough*.
Nevertheless, if he can be coached up and developed, he might be one of those guys a few years down the road looking like a draft steal. He’s got the arm, prototypical size for a pocket passer, and he actually has some wheels (no, not elite wheels).
Allar is a good kid, has a good head on his shoulders, and IF he gets solid QB coaching, he just may surprise. I’m NOT vouching for Allar in any way, just sayin’ I’d take a flyer on him in the 5th round.
Thanks M – I did say after RD 3, which would be 4 or later. 🙂
I wasn’t debating what ya said, Brother! We concur. 🙂
👍
And as a reminder, Allar broke his left ankle (not his planting ankle) in October, ’25. He should be good to go for the ’26 season, but I wonder how healthy he’ll be for the Combine and his PSU pro day. Some say he’ll be fine, and I’d argue the same. But if he’s not on his game for these pre-Draft workouts, his stock could go down even more than it already has.
Thanks for the fresh article Mike. I agree for the most part. I just realize that there is only so much cap maneuvering they can do and they most likely will not be able to field a team if they dump 99M this season. It will have to be either a post June 1 cut or keep him on the roster. Fuck it. Let him compete and play him for his 50M this year!!!
MF13, who do you think Hackett developed? Aaron Rogers? Aaron was in the league 14 years and already a star.
Blake Bortles? LOL come on!
Kyle Orton? Ryan Fitspatrick (one year with both)
Russell Wilson at Denver? that one broke the team!
He has developed exactly ZERO QB’s in his career. ZERO.
I am SOOOO happy he is going to another team.
It’s been his work with prototypical pocket-passers that caught my eye. But upon second glance, I think you’re right. He didn’t ‘develop’ them very much.
I’m not a big fan of Hackett anyway, to be honest. Just thought he might make a difference as a QB coach, nothing more or higher in rank. Don’t think he’s a good OC and he sucked as a HC
Alright, you’ve got me. Still, I can’t wait to see who our new QB coach will be.
M – I’d be fine if we could get Allar even later if he’s not healed but my guess is he could go RD 3 or 4 no matter what.
I see ESPN’s Matt Miller (we used to be tight) has us taking Jermod McCoy @ R1P11 in his latest mock draft. I don’t have a problem with that, but I have a problem with what Matt stated about Hafner’s coverage system: press-man.
Now in fairness to Matt, Hafner once upon a time deployed a press-man coverage system, but that was YEARS ago. In recent years and in order to defend against the Goodell pass-happy NFL, Hafner deploys a predominantly zone system.
Yes, Hafner mixes in press-man at times (just like everybody else, duh!), but I’m surprised Matt got it so wrong.
Anyway, personal gripes with Matt aside, I’d be very good with McCoy @ R1P11… except for one thing: the torn ACL. If McCoy shows full recovery, alright. However, are we going to get into the biz of drafting formerly injured players with Sully’s first ever pick for our Phins?
Oh boy… I don’t think he wants to go down that route from the jump… especially as it pertains to torn ACLs. No, it’s not a death-sentence as it once was, thanks to modern medicine/rehab/surgery etc… but it’s also not a joke.
Thank you, Mike E. and I agree.
There are 99M reasons to let Tua walk, imo.
👍
Mike E.
says:
February 6, 2026 at 4:19 pm
M – I’d be fine if we could get Allar even later if he’s not healed but my guess is he could go RD 3 or 4 no matter what.
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If that’s the case, HARD PASS from me. We have way too many other positions to address than to take a chance on Allar that early. JMO, as always.
M – I wouldn’t scream if we took Allar in RD 3, we have three picks there, and if they really like him, what do I care. If he’s someone they envision being a franchise guy for us down the road, a 3rd is still a bargain for a franchise QB
I hear ya, man… I do. I just don’t think Allar has ‘IT’ (like Pennywise! 😉 ). I’d definitely consider him later on, like the 5th round.
For the OG Star Wars fans out there! AI is getting better and better everyday, and I firmly believe you’ll love this one. Poor Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru… 😥
This is STELLAR story-telling, coupled with the latest AI… it’s young Luke Skywalker, still on Tatooine, just after Owen and Beru were killed…
It’s only a 9 minute video… POWERFUL.
I enjoyed the other one you posted a few weeks ago with Lando in Cloud City before Han and Leia arrive. I’ll watch this one later tonight.
M – Did you like Welcome to Derry?
Honestly, I’m not a fan of Allar or Beck as an NFL starting QB. Mendoza and Simpson are the only ones I like this year. I would just rather go with a free agent and Ewers vs. any of these day 3 QBs this year.