8 Early Candidates To Be The Dolphins' Starting Quarterback In 2026

The Miami Dolphins are making a change at quarterback. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers will start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals while Tua Tagovailoa has been demoted to third string.

This change likely means the 2025 season is over for Tagovailoa who currently leads the league with 15 interceptions. His future in Miami beyond this year looks bleak after arguably his worst season as a pro.

It seems likely that a new quarterback will be under center for the team moving forward. But considering the Dolphins’ salary cap situation, which won’t be helped by the gigantic amount of money due to Tagovailoa whether he’s on the roster or not, the team can’t fix the issue with a big free agent. The potential quarterback options for Miami consist of veterans on cost friendly deals, rookies in the upcoming draft, or moving forward with someone already on the roster.

Here are eight potential starting quarterbacks for the Dolphins if the team moves on from Tagovailoa:

Quinn Ewers

The last three games of the Dolphins season offer a huge opportunity for Ewers to show he is a suitable starting quarterback for the team moving forward. This scenario could be the most ideal and immediate fix for the Dolphins at quarterback.

If Ewers can rise to the occasion and show he’s capable of being an NFL starting quarterback, he provides the simplest, most cap friendly solution to the Dolphins quarterback drama. It would lessen the immediate need for the Dolphins to search for a new quarterback, allowing the team to emphasize other areas of improvement around Ewers.

Ewers, 22, played three years for the Texas Longhorns before declaring for the 2025 NFL draft. Ewers passed for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2024 for the Longhorns. He was part of a 2024 Longhorns team that made a run in the college football playoffs, losing to Ohio State in the semi-finals.

Joe Flacco (Bengals)

Flacco, who turns 41 next month, is at the point in his career where he can be a bridge starter for a team in need of a short-term fix. If Flacco decides to return for his 19th NFL season, the Dolphins are an attractive option.

Flacco began this season as the Browns’ starting quarterback but was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury. He’s started a combined 10 games in 2025, passing for 2,451 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

The Super Bowl XLVII MVP would be an extremely cost friendly option and brings more experience than any other quarterback the Dolphins can afford. Flacco has shown the ability to adapt to a wide range of offensive schemes late in his career.

Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals)

Brissett has put together a pretty impressive 2025 campaign for the Arizona Cardinals, even if the wins aren’t stacking up. Brissett took over starting quarterback duties when Kyler Murray suffered a season ending foot injury. Through nine starts, Brissett has 2,708 yards, 18 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 66.3 completion percentage.

The difficulty in bringing over Brissett is that he is under contract for one more year in Arizona. The rebuilding Cardinals may release the quarterback to save more than $5 million in cap space, but Miami would have to acquire him in a (presumably cheap) trade if Arizona hangs on to the quarterback.

Brissett has been a journeyman backup quarterback for the majority of his career, including a one-year stint with the Dolphins in 2021 where he started five games. While his time in Miami was under a different coaching staff, he still has some established 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 started five games this season for the Vikings while J.J. McCarthy was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. In five starts, Wentz passed for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions with 65.1 completion percentage. While his 2025 stats for Minnesota weren’t mind blowing, he showed he can still hold his own as a starting quarterback when called upon.

Wentz, 32, is a former 2016 No. 2 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles and has been a starter for the majority of his career.

The veteran is set to become a free agent this offseason and would likely be a cheap option for the Dolphins after playing at the veteran minimum in 2025.

Marcus Mariota (Commanders)

Mariota is another former No. 2 overall pick who would be a cost friendly option with a respectable amount of starting experience. Mariota has started seven games this year for the Commanders while Jayden Daniels has been injured.

Mariota’s skill set does not quite match up with how Mike McDaniel’s offense has been run in previous years, but his mobility could offer a new wrinkle for the Dolphins to add. This season, Mariota has passed for 1,600 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while adding another 298 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Mariota might not be the Dolphins first choice if the Tua era is over, but he is certainly a viable option. The Dolphins might also be inclined to running an offense featuring a more mobile quarterback after not achieving playoff success with Tagovailoa.

Fernando Mendoza (Indiana Hoosiers)

For now, Mendoza is the consensus top quarterback expected to be available in the 2026 NFL draft. The 2025 Heisman Trophy winner has put together an incredible campaign during his junior year of college, and first with Indiana after transferring from Cal.

Through 13 games this season, Mendoza has passed for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Depending on where the Dolphins will be selecting, there’s a good chance they’d have to trade up to land Mendoza if he’s the player they want. There are a few quarterback needy teams, like the Jets and Raiders, that currently have a worse record than Miami.

Ty Simpson (Alabama Crimson Tide)

Simpson has been with Alabama since 2022, but 2025 was his first chance to take over as the starter. Simpson has seized the opportunity, passing for 3,268 yards, 26 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

The question surrounding Simpson is if he’ll declare for the draft, stay at Alabama another year, or hit the transfer portal.

In his last outing against Georgia, Simpson completed less than half his passes, didn’t throw any touchdowns and threw one interception in a 28-7 loss. The CFB Playoff could give him a chance to erase that memory, but more struggles could tilt Simpson toward staying in college to gain experience and boost his draft stock.

Dante Moore (Oregon Ducks)

Dante Moore is another potential 2026 draft pick who will be in the spotlight during the CFB Playoff. Moore has 2,733 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 72.5 percent of his passes in 2025.

Still just a sophomore, there’s a chance Moore would return to Oregon, especially if the team comes up short in its effort to win a national championship. If Moore does decide to declare, he stands out as a first-round option for the Dolphins.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 8 early candidates to be the Dolphins’ starting quarterback in 2026

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