New Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley lays out what he needs in a franchise quarterback
“I want a winner.”
The odds are exceptionally high that the Miami Dolphins will have a new starting quarterback in 2026.
All the signs out of South Florida appear to indicate that the Dolphins are ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa. A complete reset of the team’s football operation only further reinforces the likelihood that Miami will make a shift.
But what are the things that matter most at the most important position in sports to the new lead man in Miami? Head coach Jeff Hafley sat down for an (excellent) one-on-one interview with NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe and offered some clarity on his valued traits at signal caller.
New Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley lays out what he’s looking for in the team’s franchise quarterback
“I want a winner. I want a guy who just…he’s got it mentally, he’s got it physically, he’s got it up here, but he’s got it in his heart. And I want a guy who can walk into a room, and everyone says, “That’s our quarterback”. I want a guy who is one of the first ones in the building, is just going to love ball, live ball, and grind. And that’s what Sully (GM Jon-Eric Sullivan) is about to do, I guess. So we’ll find out there. We’ll see in the quarterback situation, obviously, everything is going on here. There are good players here. I’m excited to meet them and see where we’re at.”
— Head coach Jeff Hafley on the traits he wants at quarterback
The Dolphins’ leadership group was clear Thursday that they do not have an answer they’re ready to give on what the future holds for Tagovailoa. He is owed north of $50 million in compensation for the 2026 season, but was benched with three weeks remaining in the 2025 season. He went on record at the end of the year saying he thought it would be “dope” to get a fresh start somewhere else.
Miami, by all accounts, seems ready for a fresh start, too. A report yesterday from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington indicated that Miami is prepared to move on from Tagovailoa and understands the cost of such a decision.
“I do think that organizationally, they are prepared to move on from Tua even as they bring in this new regime. They understand what that comes with,” said Darlington.
If that does materialize, we know some of what will move the needle for Hafley in the search for a new answer at the position. It feels like a formality that the search hasn’t forged ahead, but the Dolphins do have about eight weeks to get their ducks in a row and decide the best course of action for Tagovailoa.
Smart money says he won’t be back. But thanks to Cameron Wolfe’s sit-down with Hafley, we can start trying to find out who the smart money says is the right choice, too.
Notable quarterbacks available for the Miami Dolphins this offseason
- Malik Willis (GB) – Free Agent
- Ty Simpson (Alabama) – 2026 NFL Draft
- Marcus Mariota (WAS) – Free Agent
- Mac Jones (SF) – Trade candidate
- Anthony Richardson (IND) – Trade candidate
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