What do the Indianapolis Colts do at quarterback in 2026? The easy answer is Daniel Jones, of course, but that also brings its challenges. Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 14, and his availability for Week 1 of next season is not guaranteed.
Plus, Jones is a free agent, and he is free to sign wherever he wants. Unless Indy places the franchise tag on Jones, he could end up anywhere. The Colts would be left with Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson as potential starters next year. Neither is seemingly ideal.
What quarterback could be is current Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. While he has a history of concussion issues, he stayed fairly healthy in 2025. He was replaced by Quinn Ewers late in the season, but the Dolphins were a lost team by then. Why not see what Ewers could do?
Indianapolis Colts should snap up Tua Tagovalloa if he is released by the Miami Dolphins
Plus, if the quarterback is released, Tagovailoa should be a good fit in head coach Shane Steichen's system. The scheme requires a QB who can complete passes with a high amount of accuracy, but who can also go deep at times. That is exactly who Tagovailoa is.
Is he too short? Maybe. Does he struggle under pressure? Of course, but what quarterback doesn't? If Indianapolis is able to re-sign wide receiver Alec Pierce, he and Tagovailoa would be an excellent combination for several seasons.
The current Dolphins quarterback also doesn't get his feelings hurt if he has to hand the ball off quite a bit. He was used to that in outgoing Miami head coach Mike McDaniel's system. He would be comfortable doing the same in Steichen's scheme.
One important thing to note, though, is that Tagovailoa is left-handed. This would place importance on who plays right tackle for the Colts. Veteran Braden Smith might not be re-signed, and ascending second-year pro Jalen Travis might be the guy guarding Tagovailoa's blindside. Travis did show good promise in limited time as a rookie, however.
The Miami Dolphins are currently making loads of moves. They released several players this week, including edge rusher Bradley Chubb, another potential Colts target in free agency, and Tua Tagovailoa might be next. Miami would need to eat a lot of dead money to let him go ($99 million, in fact), but the Dolphins would save a bunch in 2027 if the quarterback were gone.
Based on its recent moves, Miami is trying to fully rebuild. The Indianapolis Colts could be the beneficiary of that. Should Miami give up Tagovailoa, Shane Steichen would certainly get the best of him in the Indianapolis Colts' system.