The Miami Dolphins are trying to trade four first-round picks ahead of the 2020 draft in exchange for the No. 1 pick in Joe Burrow, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who also reported Saturday that the Cincinnati Bengals had shut down the possibility of any such trade before the trade heated up.
At the time, the Dolphins had three 2020 first-round picks — their own, those owned by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, and those owned by the Houston Texans in the Laremy Tunsil trade — as well as two 2021 first-round picks.
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Schefter’s report comes just days after the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa, whom they selected with the No. 5 overall pick in that year’s draft.
Burrow faces the Dolphins on Sunday in what promises to be an eventful week that also includes more cryptic comments from the star signal-caller.
Burrow raised eyebrows last week when he said he would focus on enjoying playing football again. This week, he was asked if he had ever considered moving on from quarterback for the Bengals. Burrow responded with another vague but thoughtful thought: “You think about a lot of things.”
The Bengals and Dolphins have both been eliminated from playoff contention this season. Neither team has made the playoffs the past two seasons.
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Cincinnati hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022. After suffering a turf toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery, Burrow did his best to return in time to help the Bengals end their drought. That said, Cincinnati dug too big a hole for Burrow in the nine games he missed.
Burrow, 29, is pursuing the team success he had earlier in his career. After winning the Heisman Trophy and national championship at LSU, he led the Bengals to a Super Bowl title in his second season in the NFL. The next year, he led Cincinnati back to the AFC Champions League.
Meanwhile, Tagovailoa, 27, is at an inflection point in his career. Availability is also an issue for him. Concussions are a serious issue for the former Alabama quarterback. The same goes for turnovers, especially this season when he currently leads the NFL with 15 interceptions.
Tagovailoa is now the Dolphins’ emergency quarterback. McDaniel is turning to seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers, who previously starred at Texas. His replacement will be Zach Wilson, who was cast aside by the New York Jets.
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Schefter said Miami is getting a new general manager and is ready to move Tagovailoa this upcoming offseason. However, the Dolphins face financial obstacles to achieving that goal. Tagovailoa’s contract is not forgiving.
The Dolphins owe him $54 million in guaranteed money through 2026. Schefter said cutting him would result in the Dolphins taking on the largest dead money salary cap charge in NFL history. The figure is a staggering $99 million. Still, as Schefter noted in Saturday’s report, Miami could soften the blow by cutting Tagovailoa after June 1 — allowing the Dolphins to spread the cost and pay it over the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Miami could also try to trade Tagovailoa and give up his lucrative contract, or at least part of it. That would likely require the Dolphins to sweeten the deal with substantial draft compensation, possibly even giving some compensation in exchange for the suitor taking on the remaining balance of Tagovailoa’s contract.
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However, according to Schefter, Tagovailoa would likely have to take a pay cut in this scenario, but it could also have some impact on where he ends up.
Fortunately for Tagovailoa, who was a starter for the Dolphins for six seasons, there are a few teams in need of a quarterback.