The Miami Dolphins are making changes at quarterback. Seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, while Tua Tagovailoa was demoted to the third unit.
The change could mean the 2025 season is over for Tagovailoa, who currently leads the league with 15 interceptions. After arguably the worst season of his career, his future in Miami looks bleak.
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It appears the new quarterback will be the team’s centerpiece moving forward. But given the Dolphins’ salary cap situation, big money isn’t going to help the team solve this problem with a big free agent regardless of whether Tagovailoa is on the roster. Miami’s potential quarterback options include a cost-friendly veteran, a rookie in the upcoming draft, or going with someone already on the roster moving forward.
If the Dolphins move on from Tagovailoa, here are eight potential starting quarterbacks:
Quinn Ewers
The Dolphins’ final three games of the season provide Ewers with a huge opportunity to prove he’s the right starting quarterback for the team moving forward. This situation might be the most ideal and straightforward solution for the Dolphins’ quarterback.
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If Ewers can rise to the occasion and prove he’s capable of being an NFL starting quarterback, he’ll provide the simplest, most cap-friendly solution to the Dolphins’ quarterback drama. This would reduce the Dolphins’ pressing need to find a new quarterback, allowing the team to focus on other areas of improvement surrounding Ewers.
Ewers, 22, played three years for the Texas Longhorns before declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. In 2024, Ewers passed for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Longhorns. He was part of the 2024 Longhorns team that advanced to the College Football Playoff but lost to Ohio State in the semifinals.
Joe Flacco (Bengal Tigers)
Flacco turns 41 next month, and over the course of his career, he could be a bridge starter for a team in need of a short-term fix. The Dolphins are an attractive option if Flacco decides to return for his 19th NFL season.
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Flacco began the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback but was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrow was injured. In 2025, he started a total of 10 games and threw for 2,451 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The Super Bowl 47 MVP would be an extremely cost-friendly option and bring more experience to the table than any other quarterback on the Dolphins. Flacco showed the ability to adapt to a variety of offensive schemes later in his career.
Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals)
Brissett had an impressive 2025 season for the Arizona Cardinals, albeit one that didn’t feature many wins. When Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending foot injury, Brissett took over the starting quarterback duties. In nine starts, Brissett compiled 2,708 yards, 18 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 66.3 completion percentage.
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The difficulty in bringing in Brissett is that he still has one year left on his contract in Arizona. The rebuilding Cardinals could release the quarterback to save more than $5 million in cap space, but if Arizona retains the quarterback, Miami will have to acquire him in a (possibly cheap) trade.
Brissett has been a journeyman backup quarterback for much of his career, including one year with the Dolphins in 2021, starting five games. While he was under a different coaching staff during his time in Miami, he still has some familiarity in the locker room, including with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was a rookie during Brissett’s time with the team.
Carson Wentz (Vikings)
Wentz has started five games for the Vikings this season while JJ McCarthy is out with a high ankle sprain. In five starts, Wentz passed for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions, with a completion rate of 65.1%. While his numbers for Minnesota in 2025 weren’t exciting, he showed he can still hold his own as the starting quarterback when called upon.
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Wentz, 32, was a former No. 2 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 and a starter for most of his career.
The veteran is a free agent this offseason and could be a cheap option for the Dolphins after playing at the veteran minimum in 2025.
Marcus Mariota (Commander)
Mariota is another former No. 2 pick who would be a cost-friendly option and has considerable starting experience. Mariota started seven games for the Commanders this year while Jayden Daniels was injured.
Mariota’s skillset doesn’t quite fit in with Mike McDaniel’s offense from previous years, but his mobility could give the Dolphins a new challenge. This season, Mariota passed for 1,600 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 298 yards and one touchdown.
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Mariota may not be the Dolphins’ first choice if the Tua era ends, but he’s certainly a viable option. The Dolphins may also be leaning toward running a more mobile quarterback on offense after Tagovailoa failed to find postseason success.
Fernando Mendoza (Hoosiers)
Currently, Mendoza is the consensus top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner had an incredible junior year, playing first at Indiana after transferring from Cal.
In 13 games this season, Mendoza passed for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions.
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Depending on what the Dolphins choose, if Mendoza is the player they want, they’ll likely have to trade up to get him. There are some quarterback-starved teams, like the Jets and Raiders, who currently have worse records than Miami.
Ty Simpson (Alabama Crimson Tide)
Simpson has been with Alabama since 2022, but 2025 is his first chance to be a starter. Simpson took advantage of the opportunity, passing for 3,268 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The question surrounding Simpson is whether he will declare for the draft, stay at Alabama for another year, or hit the transfer portal.
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In the last game against Georgia, Simpson completed less than half of his passes, had no touchdowns, and was intercepted once in a 28-7 loss. The CFB playoffs might give him a chance to erase that memory, but more struggles might make Simpson inclined to stay in college to gain experience and improve his draft stock.
Dante Moore (Oregon Ducks)
Dante Moore is another potential 2026 draft prospect who will be in the spotlight during the CFB playoffs. Moore has 2,733 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and a pass completion rate of 72.5% in 2025.
Moore, still just a sophomore, has a chance to return to Oregon State, especially if the team fails to win a national championship. If Moore does decide to declare, he would be the Dolphins’ first-round selection.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 8 Early Candidates for Dolphins Starting QB in 2026
