Steelers And Dolphins Going Vastly Different QB Directions With Tua Tagovailoa And Aaron Rodgers

INDIANAPOLIS – The Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins are both facing seismic quarterback decisions in the coming weeks, and they're both hoping to arrive at a solution in vastly different ways — the Dolphins by moving on from Tua Tagovailoa and the Steelers by trying to re-sign Aaron Rodgers.

We kind of, sort of, figured this weeks ago with both Rodgers and Tagovailoa. But when Steelers general manager Omar Khan and Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan spoke with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, the confirmation was obvious.

Dolphins Will Be Moving On From Tua

The Dolphins are here scouring college talent, yes, but also trying to find a trade partner for Tagovailoa.

"We've had conversations with Tua and his representation," Sullivan said. "Everything's on the table, including the potential of a trade. We don't know which way that's going to go. There's a lot of different factors at play, a lot of conversations being had.

"But, but, evaluating the roster, Quinn [Ewers] did a nice job towards the end of the year. Excited about what's ahead for him. Tua, I thought, even though things didn't go well at the end of the year, did some good things along the way."

So a couple of things are happening here: Sullivan is telling you the player the team signed to a $212.4 million contract in 2025 is on the trade block in 2026. 

A general manager doesn't say that if he plans to keep that player because it means keeping a player who now knows he's not wanted. No locker room wants that.

So, the Dolphins will either trade Tagovailoa — a move that would have to include the Dolphins paying a large chunk of his $56.2 million he's owed this year. Or the Dolphins will release Tagovailoa.

Either way, the Dolphins are going to have to take on an enormous amount of dead cap space to move on from Tagovailoa. (More on that in a moment).

Steelers In Discussions With Aaron Rodgers

The Steelers, meanwhile, have similarly been talking with their quarterback. But the conversation has been much different. It's been more akin to, "Aaron please come back for 2026!"

"The door is open," general manager Omar Khan said. "We've had conversations. I spoke to him last week. Mike McCarthy has spoken to him. And he knows how we feel about him. Right now we're preceding, he's a free agent and he's not on the roster but he knows how we feel about him."

That means there's intrigue coming.

It's up to Rodgers to decide if he wants to commit to playing in his 22nd NFL season at age 43 (in December).

Last year, Rodgers dragged out the decision until June – well beyond the start of free agency in March and well beyond the April draft.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Quick Decision From Rodgers Expected

That's not expected to repeat this year, Khan said.

"I don't see this going like it did last year," he said. "I think the circumstances are a little different, but just conversations we had, I think neither side wants to have this draft on like it did last year."

It likely means Rodgers will give the Steelers word about his future either before the start of free agency or before the draft. Anytime afterward would be a major surprise for the club, not to mention a major disappointment.

Pittsburgh, as Khan said, isn't sweating re-signing Rodgers. He's not going to demand big quarterback money and the club is projected to have approximately $34 million against an estimated $303.5 million cap. The cap could be set as high as $305 million.

The Dolphins are in a vastly different cap situation. They currently figure to hover around the cap and still have work to do to be able to draft and sign their picks, not to mention set a practice squad and, well, just conduct NFL business all of 2026.

That means the Tagovailoa release/trade is going to hurt. A lot.

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Forget Malik Willis To The Dolphins

And that means the Dolphins are not likely to dip deep into the free agency pool to try signing, say, a Malik Willis, who will have multiple other teams raising his value as they compete to sign him.

"It's no secret we're in a bit of a strain salary cap-wise," Sullivan said. "I think you can always do what you want to do within the salary cap. That means you have to kick things down the road.

"We're in a position, without speaking specifically, where we need to get back into a healthy state within our salary cap.

"So, yeah, you look around the league and there are teams that kick the can down the road everywhere. So can we? Yes. Will we? I'm not here to say that."

Translation: The Dolphins aren't going to do that. They're going to rely on Ewers and perhaps a lower tier free agent and perhaps a draft pick.