Sports
How Tua Tagovailoa’s benching impacts Dolphins’ future
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With nothing material left to play for this season, the Miami Dolphins will see what they’ve got in Quinn Ewers.
The seventh-round rookie will start at quarterback in place of Tua Tagovailoa, who has possibly played his final game for the franchise that handed him a $212.1 million contract in 2024 — although Miami traveling along that path would be unprecedented in terms of its cost.
A complicated upcoming offseason for the Dolphins adds another wrinkle to news of Tua’s benching.
So, what does this mean for the Dolphins, Ewers, and coach Mike McDaniel’s future? Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN senior writers Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, and draft analyst Matt Miller answer the most pressing questions.
Why now?
Because, flatly, he’s been one of the most ineffective quarterbacks in football over the past month and a half — despite the Dolphins winning five of their past seven games. Since Week 10, he ranks 30th in QBR and 24th in passing yards. While his play didn’t necessarily hurt the Dolphins during their four-game win streak entering Week 15, his performance against the Steelers was enough to influence McDaniel’s decision.
Through three quarters against Pittsburgh, Tagovailoa completed 6 of 10 passes for 65 yards and an interception that even McDaniel couldn’t defend.
“I think the Steelers had a good plan and early they knew where we were trying to attack,” McDaniel said of the play. “I think Tua lost sight of [the cornerback], which is a big deal. He didn’t see the hanging corner. He threw it to him out of the break. It’s not the ideal play, and matters were made worse by the throw to the opponent.”
Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a career-high 15 interceptions this season, and turning the ball over is one of McDaniel’s pet peeves. Combine that with the Dolphins’ mathematical elimination from playoff contention, and it made sense for the team to turn to the rookie — who’s been quietly impressing behind the scenes. — Louis-Jacques
What does this mean for Tua’s future with the team?
The benching means he’s, at best, a bridge quarterback for Miami next year and, at worst, a free agent looking to be a bridge for someone else.
Teams I’ve talked to in the aftermath of this consider Tagovailoa’s $54 million in guarantees immovable via trade unless the Dolphins cover a significant portion of the contract, and even that doesn’t guarantee him a market. The play was simply not good this year, and scouts saw a regressing player who was not as light on his feet as he was two years ago. Couple that issue with his concussion history and Tagovailoa could be a hard sell for a team evaluating him as a starter in 2026.
But the Dolphins are only as good as their options. If Ewers performs over these final three games, he will serve as both a starting option next year and a sunk cost for Miami because of his rookie contract. Miami and Tagovailoa could sell a reconciliation, assuming the quarterback rededicates himself to the job and Miami accepts that it’s stuck with him. But we saw this script with Russell Wilson — when a team’s done with a high-priced, underperforming veteran QB, keeping him around doesn’t make much sense. Miami appears poised to start over with a draft pick or a veteran quarterback signed or traded from elsewhere. — Fowler
Considering his contract, how difficult would it be for the Dolphins to move on from him?
Tagovailoa has $54 million in fully guaranteed compensation in 2026. That breaks down as a $39 million salary and a $15 million option bonus that needs to be exercised between the first and third days of the 2026 league year in March. Additionally, on the third day of the 2026 league year, $3 million of his $31 million 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed. So if he’s on Miami’s roster as of 4 p.m. ET on March 13, the Dolphins will be on the hook for $57 million guaranteed.
If they were to release him prior to that date, they’d still have to pay him the $54 million in 2026 cash and would absorb $99.2 million in dead salary cap charges. (They could spread that out over two years if they designated him a post-June 1 release, but they’d still take $67.4 million in dead money charges on their 2026 cap and the remaining $31.8 million in 2027.) If they were to find a way to trade Tagovailoa before March 13, the acquiring team would become responsible for the $54 million in 2026 salary and bonuses, and the Dolphins’ dead-money charge would drop to $45.2 million. If they traded him after March 13, presumably they’d be on the hook for the $15 million option bonus, while the new team would take the $39 million salary; the Dolphins’ dead-money charge would be $60.2 million.
None of this is even close to ideal, obviously, as it would leave Miami in a terrible cap situation and also without a quarterback. The Broncos took $80 million in dead-money charges (spread over two years) when they released Wilson in 2024, and they managed to make the playoffs last season and currently hold the 1-seed in the AFC playoff field for this season. So huge dead-money charges don’t necessarily kill a team’s chances. But one of the reasons it has worked for Denver is it found a first-round QB in Bo Nix who could play right away. — Graziano
McDaniel was tasked with maximizing Tua’s potential. What does this suggest about McDaniel’s future with the team?
He did. Tagovailoa was markedly improved in 2022 and led the NFL in passing yards the following season. But his durability concerns spilled over into his decision-making to a point where Tagovailoa appears hesitant to take risks with his body — which is understandable considering his concussion history.
McDaniel did not draft Tagovailoa, but he advocated for his extension with then-general manager Chris Grier, who was fired midseason. It would be interesting to see him develop another franchise quarterback. The results from his time with Teddy Bridgewater, Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley were mixed-to-underwhelming, but he gets another chance with Ewers for the next three weeks. — Louis-Jacques
What does Ewers’ predraft scouting report tell us about what we should expect from him?
Ewers was a three-year starter at Texas, and he threw 68 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions over his 37 career games. He was accurate when able to play from a clean pocket, and the touch and timing that he showed in Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense will be perfect for what the Dolphins want to do with underneath and crossing routes designed to get wide receivers in space.
Ewers got into trouble when he had to move in the pocket to make plays or when dropping underneath coverage confused him after the snap. But when he gets into the right read pre-snap, he can carve up a defense — and that’s what the Dolphins will look to do to get him early success. — Miller
What do the Dolphins see in Ewers relative to the other backup, Zach Wilson?
The Dolphins know what Wilson is and didn’t bring him in to replace a healthy Tagovailoa. But Ewers was drafted as a developmental player who now has an opportunity to play valuable developmental reps.
With three weeks remaining in the season, there’s almost a win-win scenario approaching for Miami. If Ewers performs well, the Dolphins may have found a potential future starter. If he doesn’t and the team loses its next three games, it strengthens Miami’s draft position. — Louis-Jacques
What will the reaction be in the locker room?
Locker rooms typically know when it’s time for a change to be made. If Ewers puts the necessary work in, he could infuse some life into a Dolphins passing game that has lacked it over the past month.
Tagovailoa is a team captain but drew criticism from both inside and outside the locker room for his comments earlier in the season about his teammates’ attendance at player-led meetings. He has since apologized for his comments but was seen laughing with Steelers’ cornerback Jalen Ramsey minutes after the loss Monday night. It’s not clear whether that moment struck a nerve with Miami’s locker room, but it was a poor look after another disappointing performance. — Louis-Jacques
Sports
Warriors’ Moses Moody leaves game on stretcher after suffering gruesome injury on dunk attempt
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Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody left Monday night’s game on a stretcher after he suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Dallas Mavericks.
Moody was all alone on his way to an easy dunk in overtime after stealing the ball from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg. He gathered himself and went up for the slam but his knee buckled. He landed hard on the floor.
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Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) injures his leg while trying to score in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during overtime at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and players from both teams were left in disbelief.
Moody was down for several minutes as medical personnel attended to him. Kerr said after the game that Moody was getting X-rays at the American Airlines Center.
“Just saw his leg buckle. Saw him go down in a heap, in pain,” Kerr told reporters. “We don’t know what it is, but it sure looked bad. Just hoping for the best. What the best-case scenario is, that’s what we’re all hoping for. But it looked bad.”
Moody was playing in his first game since he sprained his right wrist. He led the Warriors with 23 points and three steals before the freak accident.

Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) grabs his leg at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
NBA CHAMP’S IRONMAN STREAK COMES TO AN ABRUPT END DUE TO BIZARRE INJURY
“Mo is such a great human being, great teammate, wonderful guy to coach,” Kerr said. “Puts in the work every day. And was brilliant, by the way. Played so well defensively, changed the game for us with his ball pressure and knocked down big shots. So great to finally have him back. And then for that to happen, you’re just praying that it’s not too serious, but it sure looked serious.”
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski said the injury reminded him of when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL against the Miami Heat back in January.
“You just hate to see it, especially to the good people in life,” Podziemski said.

Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) waves to fans while leaving the court on a stretcher during overtime against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
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The Warriors won the game 137-131. Golden State is likely headed for the play-in tournament in hopes of being one of the eight teams in the Western Conference vying for an NBA title.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
Peshawar Zalmi strengthen squad with new foreign signing
Former champions Peshawar Zalmi have brought in Zimbabwean player Brian Bennett for the 11th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), set to take place from March 26 to May 3.
The addition was announced by Zalmi owner Javed Afridi through a post on his social media platform X.
“We welcome Brian John Bennett from Zimbabwe to the Zalmi family,” Afridi wrote.
The right-handed batter has been a formidable performer for Zimbabwe in international limited-overs cricket. He has played 58 T20Is, scoring 1,888 runs at a healthy strike rate of 143.68, including 12 fifties and one century.
Bennett was also the sixth-highest run-scorer in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, held in India and Sri Lanka.
He amassed 292 runs in six matches at an average of 146.00 and a strike rate of 134.56, with three half-centuries to his name.
The 22-year-old is set to make his debut not only in the PSL but also in any overseas franchise league.
Earlier, Zalmi also signed Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim, who became the third Bangladeshi player to join the squad, alongside Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam.
The upcoming PSL season marks a landmark edition as the league expands to eight teams. New entrants Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi join the fray, with a total of 44 matches to be played over 39 days.
In a significant shift from initial plans, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has scaled back the tournament’s logistics. Matches will now be held exclusively at two venues—Karachi and Lahore—and played behind closed doors.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the revised arrangements during a media conference, explaining that the decisions followed a joint meeting with franchise owners and consultations with the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who serves as the Patron-in-Chief.
Six cities, including Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, had originally been in contention to host matches.
Updated Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 11:
Babar Azam (c), Sufiyan Muqeem, Brian Bennett, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris, Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, James Vince, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mirza Tahir Baig, Kashif Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Farhan Yousuf and Shoriful Islam.
Sports
How Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s contract extension impacts Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks made Jaxon Smith-Njigba the NFL’s highest-paid receiver on Monday — and they did it without a whiff of the acrimony that came with other megadeals in their recent past.
The last time they made a nonspecialist the top-paid player at his position, it ended a monthslong contract dispute with safety Jamal Adams, who sat out the first three weeks of training camp in 2021.
In 2019, linebacker Bobby Wagner staged his own offseason hold-in while awaiting a top-of-the-market deal. It got done early in training camp, but with Wagner serving as his own agent, negotiations with one of the best players in franchise history got awkward.
Earlier that same year, quarterback Russell Wilson set an April 15 deadline for an extension, saying he’d play out the final year of his deal if a new one wasn’t secured by then. General manager John Schneider had to bounce between draft meetings and the negotiating table before an agreement was reached at the 11th hour to make Wilson the highest-paid player in the NFL.
There was no such drama between the Seahawks and Smith-Njigba, 24, as the two sides worked toward a deal that tops Wilson’s for the richest in team history. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a four-year, $168.6 million extension that includes over $120 million in guarantees.
Given the history, that a contract of this magnitude got done as quickly as it did might be surprising. At the same time, it makes sense given the player in question.
Smith-Njigba is an embodiment of the “Mission Over Bulls—“ mantra the Seahawks adopted last season during their run to Super Bowl LX. Those who know Smith-Njigba well say he’s genuinely more invested in the team’s success than his personal accomplishments.
After leading the NFL in receiving in 2025, making his second straight Pro Bowl and being named AP Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba helped the Seahawks claim the second Lombardi Trophy in the franchise’s history.
Now he has a record-setting contract to go with it.
NFL Nation Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson and senior NFL national reporters Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano break down what Smith-Njigba’s deal means for the Seahawks … and a rival West Coast receiver who is also waiting for an extension.

Why did the Seahawks extend JSN now, after exercising his fifth-year option last week?
The Seahawks always planned to pick up Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option and negotiate an extension. The timing of this deal, though, is atypical for an organization that usually waits until later in the offseason to work out extensions, as was the case in recent years with players such as right tackle Abraham Lucas (2025), safety Julian Love (2024), outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (2023) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (2022).
Perhaps the Seahawks were motivated to get ahead of the wide receiver market, securing an extension for Smith-Njigba lest they wait and have to top whatever number Puka Nacua gets on his megadeal from the Los Angeles Rams. — Henderson
What does this mean for CB Devon Witherspoon and subsequent moves for Seattle?
With the Smith-Njigba deal done, expect the Seahawks to turn their attention to an extension for Witherspoon, a fellow 2023 first-round pick and a tone setter on the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense. Seattle also picked up Witherspoon’s fifth-year option last week at a projected cost of around $21.12 million for 2027.
The Rams gave Trent McDuffie a four-year, $124 million extension after acquiring him in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs — which complicates things for the Seahawks. The deal makes McDuffie the league’s top-paid corner at an average of $31 million per season, a number Witherspoon is now in position to top.
Witherspoon’s résumé is stronger than McDuffie’s, with an initial-ballot Pro Bowl berth in each of his first three seasons. Had it not been for running back Kenneth Walker III totaling 161 yards in Super Bowl LX, Witherspoon — with a sack and another hit that led to a pick-six — might have been the game’s MVP.
Seattle may have already been prepared to make Witherspoon the game’s top-paid corner, but McDuffie’s deal raised that benchmark.
That helps explain the restraint the Seahawks showed in free agency seemingly in preparation for these extensions. While they were never expected to make serious efforts to keep cornerback Riq Woolen or outside linebacker Boye Mafe, they also let Walker and safety Coby Bryant walk for deals they could have fit under their cap.
But it’s one thing to have enough cap space. Teams also need cash, and the Seahawks — assuming they extend Witherspoon — will be committing a ton of it up front in the form of signing bonuses for two top-of-the-market deals. — Henderson
Could QB Sam Darnold get a new deal, too?
Not until next year. Darnold certainly has a case for a raise. The $33.5 million average of the three-year, $100.5 million deal he signed as a free agent last March ranks 15th in terms of annual salaries for quarterbacks. It’s a bargain for a QB coming off a Pro Bowl season and a Super Bowl victory.
But the Seahawks do not extend contracts with more than one season remaining — a nonnegotiable team policy on which they’ve held firm over the years. That’s why it was a nonstarter when their previous quarterback, Geno Smith, wanted a new deal in 2024, as he was entering the second season of a three-year deal.
When asked at the NFL combine if Darnold could get an extension this offseason, Schneider stated, “Sam signed a three-year deal.”
Technically, Smith-Njigba had two years remaining on his rookie contract once his option was exercised, as does Witherspoon. But Schneider has clarified that option years don’t apply to the team’s rule. — Henderson
What does this mean for Rams’ discussions with Nacua?
The impact is immense. Smith-Njigba and Nacua are 2023 draft mates with similar production through three NFL seasons. (Smith-Njigba has the receptions edge and a slight win in receiving touchdowns, 20 to 19, but Nacua has more yards.)
There’s no question that Nacua and his agents will use Smith-Njigba’s benchmark as a suitable comp, but getting there might not be easy. The Rams aren’t afraid of tough negotiations. They made Aaron Donald hold out years ago in order to get his deal and dangled a trade for Matthew Stafford last offseason before eventually sweetening his deal.
Nacua and the Rams have plenty of time to execute a potential extension and there’s no real rush. But Smith-Njigba’s contract definitely helps Nacua — unless Los Angeles finds the ballooning receiver market, which is up about 280% over the past decade, untenable. The flip side: The Rams identified Nacua as a star very early in his career and knew this day was coming. — Fowler
Is JSN’s contract structured to limit the immediate payout with eventual new ownership in mind?
The structure is favorable for the team, but I don’t think it’s because the team is being sold. In talking to people with knowledge of this and other Seahawks negotiations this offseason, I’ve been told the pending new ownership change has no impact on the business the Seahawks are doing right now.
The Seahawks have very rigid principles when it comes to veteran contract negotiations. Specifically, they do not guarantee any money outside of the first year of the deal. In the case of Smith-Njigba, however, he already had $23.852 million fully guaranteed for 2027 because they’d picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. This is why his 2027 money is guaranteed at signing in an apparent departure from the Seahawks’ self-imposed rules.
Seattle will pay Smith-Njigba $36.5 million in 2026 — a $35 million signing bonus, a $1.25 million base salary and a $250,000 workout bonus. They’ll pay him $32.63 million in 2027, including a $30 million option bonus, a $1.53 million salary, a $250,000 workout bonus and $850,000 in per-game roster bonuses (assuming he plays all 17 games in 2027). After that, the 2028 money is guaranteed for injury only and doesn’t become fully guaranteed until five days after Super Bowl 62, which is scheduled to be played in February 2028.
It’s also interesting to note how the Smith-Njigba structure fits into the Seahawks’ overall payroll picture. The extension they did for left tackle Charles Cross earlier this year included a $25 million signing bonus and a $15 million 2026 option bonus, plus an additional $8 million option bonus in 2028.
Smith-Njigba’s contract includes option bonuses in 2027 and 2029, staggering them on the odd years while Cross’ are in the even years, presumably to even out the year-to-year cash spend. Given the Seahawks appear to have adopted an every-other-year option bonus structure in these big-money deals, it’ll be interesting to see which years of the inevitable Witherspoon extension include big option bonuses.
That’s a long way of saying no but also illustrating the ways in which the Seahawks have structured this deal as part of an overall cap management and cash budgeting process that will help the current owners as well as the eventual new ones. — Graziano
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