I think he's gone. Sets them up to be in the running for one of the top picks in the NEXT year's draft, which looks to be QB rich.
The coach or the QB is gone?
They're not taking a $100 million cap hit out of their $270 million roster to pay Tua to play for another team so he's there.
And since they're playing him, which coach out there could get more from Tua?
Nick Saban or Brian Daboll who he played for in college maybe IF they were interested?
Meanwhile McDaniel remains Tua's biggest believer and he's already the coach. Starting fresh with a new coach who Tua has no experience with MIGHT not be the best thing to get the most out of him.
But when it comes to attracting a better coach, saddling said coach with Tua as QB or more than 1/3rd less of a salary cap to spend isn't necessarily the selling point some might think it is.
On the QB I would agree, they need to draft a future QB - if that's next season and he sits behind Tua (who would STILL have a $32 million dead cap hit in 2027 if they cut him then) so be it.
But the Dolphins don't seem to be trying to tank and right now they're looking at drafting well outside of the Top 10, where all the available QBs will be. So if they want a new QB next season, not only will they take a $100 million cap hit to cut Tua, they will have to give up future high draft picks to be able to move into the Top 10 to get said QB.
Meanwhile some of the QBs predicted to come out this season will likely not come out in the draft in 2026 like Arch Manning.
Whether they or the Jets decide to tank for him will be interesting - although the Jets can actually afford to trade for a QB like Mac Jones to bridge them at QB next season and STILL would have the #1 draft capital to move up and draft Manning in 2027 - not that any team can count on that.
But again for the Fins, if they draft a new QB next season, they need to pay to move to the Top 10, and will probably sit that QB possibly until 2028 since Tua's remaining $130 million are going to keep him there IMO.
The time to bring in a new coach is when they are clean of that mess, and actually have the cap space and draft capital needed to attract a coach capable of rebuilding the team. So yeah, I think they're stuck with McDaniel and Tua for 1 year and probably 2.