Jets can't be serious with latest report surrounding Tua Tagovailoa

The New York Jets are keeping the door open on any and all quarterback options this offseason, even the ones that may make fans cringe when they hear their names.

But the fact of the matter is, the Jets are desperate for any form of competent quarterback play, and beggars can't be choosers. If it isn't clear already, New York is certainly a beggar.

The most recent one will certainly make Jets fans wince, with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reporting that the team is doing its "homework" on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Should the Jets really consider Tua Tagovailoa as a real QB option?

With Tuesday's news of the Arizona Cardinals outright cutting quarterback Kyler Murray and getting rid of his massive contract, the Dolphins are expected to do the same with Tagovailoa, given the lack of trade suitors around the league.

Garafolo told Good Morning Football that the Jets are among the teams doing background work on the former first-round pick in the event of his eventual release.

"Teams are doing work on Tua from my understanding, the Jets amongst them, making some calls to get the fullest sense of who Tua is as a person. The Jets have multiple options when it comes to the quarterback situation and Tua I believe is among them"

Mike Garafolo

The only real reason Tagovailoa makes sense for the Jets is his price tag. Similar to Murray, the Dolphins would be paying their former quarterback an exorbitant amount of money not to play for them in 2026, meaning he would take the veteran's minimum to sign with a team in his attempt to prove Miami wrong.

But is any team out there willing to take the risks Tagovailoa presents as a starting quarterback? For starters, his best play came when he was part of a specific offense tailored to his skill set by a brilliant offensive mind in former head coach Mike McDaniel. When the supporting cast took a dip, so did the former Crimson Tide star's play.

Tagovailoa was benched this past season in favor of sixth-round rookie Quinn Ewers after throwing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. If McDaniel was fed up with his quarterback, how many other offensive coaches think they could get more out of him?

Add in Tagovailoa's reputation for poor play in cold weather, and the Jets fit makes all the less sense. Sure, New Jersey weather is good in September and October, but once the winter months roll around, the MetLife Stadium environment would almost certainly impact his play.

The Jets should absolutely be examining all of their quarterback options this offseason. They're going to be one of the last destinations all the better options consider. But there has to be a line drawn at some point, and that line should be Tagovailoa.