Hours after the Miami Dolphins announced that "franchise quarterback" Tua Tagovailoa would be benched in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, SportsRadio 94 WIP writer Eliot Shorr-Parks believes the Eagles have a pathway to reunite the former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts and Tagovailoa.
Shor-Parks thinks bringing in Tagovailoa to Philadelphia could be a good spot next season. In his post on X, Shor-Parks breaks down three reasons why it would work out in the Eagles' favor.
"Tua being the Eagles backup QB in 2026 seems too perfect:
** Eagles cash in on trading Tanner McKee
** Eagles get another QB to take through the QB factory
** Hurts gets the final revenge for being benched in college for Tua, having him be his backup in the NFL"
Does Hurts and Tagovailoa being together make any sense?
While on the surface the move is "entertaining" and a fun "what-if," there are plenty of complexities related to his 4-year, $212,400,000 contract with the Miami, including a $42,000,000 signing bonus, with $167,171,000 guaranteed. Per Spotrac, Tagovailoa would be a 45.2 million dead-cap hit for the Dolphins next year if traded before the June 1 deadline. While it's not impossible, Tagovailoa's make him extremely difficult to maneuver, especially to an Eagles team that will certainly not want to shoulder an additional financial load for a QB2.
The Eagles are also jettisoning their current backup, Tanner McKee, which is quite shocking. McKee has been highly efficient when given the opportunity, leading the Eagles' offense and serving as a nice complementary piece in Philadelphia. The Eagles felt strongly enough to trade Kenny Pickett, after two McKee appearances in 2024, confirming their belief in their 2023 sixth-round draft pick.
Another avenue of the trade's ridiculous nature could be that it may instill unwarranted controversy in the quarterback, possibly pitting Hurts and Tua against each other, as fans and media outlets alike. History has shown that the most popular player on a struggling team is the backup quarterback, and putting the two former Alabama quarterbacks in that situation is unfair to both men.
Read more: Jalen Hurts needed just one game to get back into the good graces of everyone
While speculation is always fun, sometimes it can be a bit unnecessary. In the era of social media, posting an "outrageous" post can often garner plenty of eyeballs, whether or not it's relevant.