The Miami Dolphins are entering a very critical 2025 NFL season. Head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier will be on the hot seat for this franchise.
Another person in the franchise who will also be under pressure to perform in 2025 is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa has had a history of injuries with the Dolphins. During the 2024 season with Miami, he completed 72.9% of his passes for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. If the Dolphins miss the playoffs once again in 2025, there is a chance that Miami could be making sweeping changes within the organization.
Miami Dolphins Find Tua Tagovailoa Replacement In Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Profootballnetwork.com writer Mark Stolte created his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft. He thinks that the Dolphins are going to bottom out in the 2025 NFL season and finish in fourth place in the AFC East. Stolte has the Dolphins selecting third in the 2026 NFL Draft. With this selection, he has the Dolphins finding a Tagovailoa replacement and selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza from the Indiana Hoosiers.
“If the Miami Dolphins are picking this high, it’s time to say goodbye to Tua Tagovailoa. The Mike McDaniel experiment is also very likely over, and with that, the Dolphins’ new head coach gets to bring in his choice at quarterback. In this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, the franchise hires Joe Brady as the new head coach and he wants Fernando Mendoza running his offense.
Brady’s offense relies heavily on 11 and 12 personnel as well as a strong run game.
In 2024 at Cal, Mendoza ranked ninth in EPA (expected points added) per dropback in 12 personnel and was above average on play-action passes as well. Mendoza’s 32nd fastest time to throw of 2.59 seconds also matches the typical timing-based Miami offenses, meaning the rest of the team shouldn’t have to adjust too much.”
If Miami is picking this high, the new regime will want their own quarterback to work with and Tagovailoa will most likely be traded elsewhere for the 2026 NFL season. As for the Dolphins potentially selecting Mendoza this high, it would be an interesting selection for them. He is a hot name to watch for during the 2025 college football season with Indiana.
Before transferring to the Hoosiers, he played for the California Golden Bears in 2024. Mendoza completed 68.7% of his passes for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed for 105 yards on 87 carries and two touchdowns, along with averaging 1.2 yards per carry.
The Dolphins will have a lot of choices in who they would want as the next long-term quarterback for this franchise if 2025 will be the last year Tagovailoa is under center for them. Miami has not won a playoff game since 2000 against the Indianapolis Colts. This fanbase has not seen success in a long-time. The Dolphins may need fresh blood in the organization after the 2025 NFL season.
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