A new report opens the door for the Minnesota Vikings to trade for a QB with star talent and move some contracts they no longer want. But it also comes with a lot of risk.
The 2025 NFL season was one that Vikings fans will look back on with frustration and regret. After going 14-3 with Sam Darnold as their quarterback the year before, the organization chose to let him walk in free agency and rest their hopes on 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy. That proved to be the wrong decision.
While McCarthy posted a 6-4 record in his 10 starts, their success in those games was less about him and more a showcase of how good their defense was. The young QB’s underwhelming showing left many Minnesota fans wondering what this season could have been with a better option at quarterback. Darnold going on to win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks only worsened the frustration of fans.
That is why there have been reports that the team will bring in a veteran QB to compete with McCarthy this summer, because the Vikings can be a Super Bowl contender in 2026 if they get better play from the most important position on the team. Well, an intriguing option is available with a desperate franchise.
According to Jason La Canfora of Sports Boom, the trade market for Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is non-existent, and executives around the game feel his contract makes him “untradeable.” The one-time Pro Bowler has three years and $111 million left on his deal.
While there is a huge risk in trading for Tagovailoa, the Vikings should consider a potential move.
Why the Vikings should consider a Tua Tagovailoa trade
Yes, there are definitely things about Tagovailoa that are easy to dislike, beyond just his over-priced contract. He has always been small for the position, and he doesn’t have a monster arm. But more than anything, his issues with concussions and being one hit away from his career ending are always looming in the distance.
Yet, there is no denying that when he has worthwhile pieces around him, he has had big success in the NFL. When he stayed healthy for all of the 2023 season, he threw for over 4,600 yards and was a Pro Bowler. Furthermore, he has always been viewed as a good character player, even going back to his days at Alabama.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has shown throughout his career that he can do great things with quarterbacks. Yes, Tagovailoa staying healthy and returning to his Pro Bowl form of 2023 are big ifs. But there is a track record from O’Connell and Tagovailoa that makes it seem plausible in 2026. And if that version of the 27-year-old can return next season, the Vikings will be a big problem in the NFC.
Vikings can take advantage of the Dolphins’ desperation
The Dolphins understand they gave Tagovailoa a bad contract, and La Canfora’s report suggests execs around the game know they have no leverage in a trade. They have to either find a deal or take a huge dead cap hit if they cut him. It creates a desperation that the Vikings can take advantage of. So the Vikings can look to make a deal where Miami keeps a good chunk of his deal, or Minnesota can offload contracts they no longer want.
There have been rumblings that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, center Ryan Kelly, and Aaron Jones could be cut candidates this offseason. Well, instead of making those cuts and taking cap hits, they can be sent to Miami. The Dolphins are desperate enough that they may be willing to take contracts back for players they feel might help if it means moving Tagovailoa.
Is trading for the damaged Dolphins QB a great option? Not really. But the signal-caller class in the NFL Draft is not good, and the options in free agency are just as bad. Of the proven veteran QBs Minnesota can add this offseason, Tagovailoa has some of the best upside if combined with O’Connell and a superstar receiver like Justin Jefferson next season.
