The Miami Dolphins can’t necessarily afford to swing for the fences when it comes to finding a replacement/backup quarterback for the injured Tua Tagovailoa going forward, but they should be hunting for a proverbial standup double at value.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell offered such a solution on Thursday, Oct. 17, when he proposed the team swap a fourth-round pick in 2025 to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for Bryce Young — the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.
Barnwell invoked the maxim of “actions over words” when calling out the fact that while the Panthers may be telling the world they aren’t ready to part with Young, their decision to bench him screams the opposite and indicates that the experiment is over.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
© Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
He went on to note that Young would fit into Mike McDaniel’s run-pass-option offense well, adding other reasons why the fit makes sense.
Miami has the sort of uncertain quarterback situation that would benefit from Young’s presence. Tua Tagovailoa is signed to a long-term deal and is expected to return from his most recent concussion at some point during the season, but the series of brain injuries he has suffered [has] understandably raised questions about his long-term status.
Backup quarterback is a clear weakness for the Dolphins. … Trading for Young would give them a higher-upside option behind Tagovailoa with the potential to eventually emerge as the long-term starter if Tagovailoa eventually leaves the sport.
The move wouldn’t be cheap, but it wouldn’t be overly expensive either. Young is playing on a four-year rookie deal worth $38 million total that includes a team option for the 2027 season.
However, most of that money has already been paid out due to the contract’s structure, which included a $24.6 million signing bonus. Were Miami to trade for Young now, the team would only be on the hook for $10.7 million total through the end of the 2026 campaign, which makes a potential deal a reasonable swing on a player who could possibly grow into the Dolphins’ long-term starter.
