MIAMI — For once, we have some evidence South Florida’s NFL franchise isn’t run by morons.

Someone is actually thinking about the future of this franchise and pushing the organization in that direction.

Whether it’s interim general manager Champ Kelly, or owner Steve Ross finally making his desires known, I no longer care. And you shouldn’t either because the future is finally more relevant than the present.

Tua Tagovailoa was finally benched, and it has been a long time coming.

Tagovailoa’s arm looks shot.

“He’s got no drive on the ball,” one NFL coach privately shared with me, explaining why it’s now easy for opposing defenses to cover Miami’s passing game.

That coach compared it to Peyton Manning’s final season in Denver, when he could barely throw a pass 25 yards.

Tagovailoa’s mobility is gone, too.

As painful as this is to admit, since I was a board member of the “Tank for Tua” campaign in 2019, the 2025 version of Tagovailoa — the one who seemingly aged five years in one season — was holding the offense back.

Quinn Ewers, who was announced as Tagovailoa’s replacement Wednesday, likely won’t perform any better, especially since the live-action practices he has worked with the starters since August can probably be counted on one hand. But the Dolphins’ next general manager, and possibly their next head coach, needs to know what this franchise has in the 2025 seventh-round pick, a former University of Texas starter who impressed during training camp.

The decision on Ewers over Zach Wilson, a 2021 first-round pick who flamed out as the New York Jets starter, was an easy one. Wilson has the tools, but is riddled with inconsistency, and has too many brain fart moments in the work I have seen.

He has had his moment in the NFL.

Ewers, who played in one game this season, completing 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards in mop-up duty of a 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, has a moxie to him that hints there might be something worthy of an investment in there.

It’s time to see what’s possible.

However, switching quarterbacks isn’t where the Dolphins (6-8) should stop when it comes to changing up Miami’s depth chart in the season’s final three games.

Pass rusher Matt Judon, a 10-year veteran, has been released, opening the door for him to sign elsewhere, possibly latching onto a playoff team. His removal will create more opportunities for Chop Robinson, a 2024 second-round pick, to prove he can be an every-down player, and not just a situational pass rusher.

It might also — or at least should — create an opening for Derrick McClendon, a practice squad player, who was one of training camp’s top performers, to get on the field for some pass-rushing opportunities. There’s something there in McClendon, and the Dolphins need to find out if it is real, or fool’s gold.

Zeek Biggers needs to replace Benito Jones as Miami’s starting nose tackle in these final games of 2025. Since entering the rotation Biggers, a 2025 seventh-round pick, has been impactful, contributing 12 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, four pressures and a quarterback knockdown in his 134 defensive snaps.

Rookie safety Dante Trader Jr. needs to return to the starting lineup, leapfrogging Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu again. While all three made costly mistakes that contributed to Miami’s 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, Trader’s the safety under contract in 2026, and seemingly has the most upside.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has been a massive disaster as a free agent signing, and if he continues to take offensive snaps it will negatively impact the caliber of compensatory pick the Dolphins receive in the 2026 NFL draft.

Considering Ross has contributed millions to boost recent trades, sweetening the draft picks Miami got in return, why would the Dolphins even consider playing Westbrook-Ikhine another snap this season. As dismal as Miami’s receiving corp has been this year, it’s not like Westbrook-Ikhine is helping.

I would personally prefer the Dolphins invest snaps into Dee Eskridge and Tahj Washington, two speedsters who struggled this season, but have the talent to be playmakers, which is exactly what the Dolphins have been missing since Tyreek Hill sustained his gruesome knee injury in late September.

The Dolphins had the right idea playing Washington, a 2024 seventh-round draft pick, and creating a package for him in the first quarter of the 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The problem is the former USC standout fumbled on his very first NFL reception, and we never saw him again after that.

The youngster was never given a chance to redeem himself, show the growth he has made from then.

That time should be now, since the Dolphins have nothing to lose, and a ton to discover about what’s actually on this underachieving roster.

Greg Dulcich, a fourth-year player Miami signed to the practice squad at the start of regular season, and then elevated to the 53-man roster in late October, established himself as one of the team’s most promising young players recently by contributing 15 receptions for 200 yards during past six games.

And to think injuries and desperation were what created that opportunity for Dulcich.

Well, just about everyone on the Dolphins roster should be filled with the same kind of desperation since Tagovailoa’s demotion is likely the end of an era.

A new beginning is on the horizon, and the Dolphins need to figure out who should come along on that journey.

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