The Miami Dolphins’ desperate 2020 pursuit of Joe Burrow, offering a historic four first-round picks, underscores a franchise-altering decision that continues to resonate five years later as both teams face quarterback crossroads.
Five years after the 2020 NFL Draft, a seismic revelation has emerged about one of the most significant near-misses in modern league history. The Miami Dolphins attempted to trade a staggering four first-round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for the right to select quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall selection, a detail confirmed by reporting from ESPN.
The Bengals, firmly committed to building their franchise around the LSU national champion, shut down the possibility of any trade before negotiations could gain serious traction. This decision set both franchises on dramatically different paths that have led them to their current quarterback dilemmas.
The Draft Capital Arms Race
Miami’s offer represented an unprecedented package of future assets. At the time, the Dolphins possessed immense draft capital acquired through strategic trades, including:
- Their own 2020 first-round pick (No. 5 overall)
- The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2020 first-round pick (acquired in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade)
- The Houston Texans’ 2020 first-round pick (acquired in the Laremy Tunsil trade)
- Multiple 2021 first-round picks
This treasure trove of picks gave Miami the flexibility to make such a monumental offer, one that would have dwarfed most historical trade packages for a single player.
The Alternate Reality: What If Cincinnati Had Accepted?
Had the Bengals accepted Miami’s offer, the NFL landscape would look radically different today. Cincinnati would have acquired massive draft capital to build around a different quarterback prospect, while Miami would have secured their franchise cornerstone in Burrow.
Instead, Cincinnati selected Burrow at No. 1, while Miami settled for Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5—a decision that has created lasting ramifications for both franchises.
The Present-Day Crossroads
The revelation of Miami’s massive offer comes at a critical juncture for both franchises. The Dolphins recently benched Tagovailoa in favor of seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers, with former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson serving as backup. This move signals a potential end to Tagovailoa’s tumultuous six-season tenure in Miami.
Meanwhile, Burrow finds himself at a reflective point in his career with the Bengals. After leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in his second season and an AFC Championship game appearance the following year, the Bengals have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Burrow’s 2025 campaign was derailed by a turf toe injury that required surgery in Week 2, creating a hole too deep for the team to overcome despite his return.
Burrow’s Cryptic Comments and Future Speculation
Burrow has recently made headlines with philosophical comments about his career trajectory. Last week, he emphasized the need to “have fun playing football again,” and when asked about potentially not being the Bengals’ quarterback in the future, he responded with a telling, “You think about a lot of things.”
These comments, combined with Cincinnati’s recent struggles, have fueled speculation about Burrow’s long-term future with the franchise that once turned down a king’s ransom to keep him.
Tagovailoa’s Costly Contract Conundrum
For Miami, moving on from Tagovailoa presents significant financial challenges. The quarterback is owed $54 million guaranteed in 2026, and cutting him would result in the largest dead money salary cap charge in NFL history at approximately $99 million.
The Dolphins do have options to mitigate this financial burden:
- A post-June 1 designation would allow them to spread the cap hit over the 2026 and 2027 seasons
- Trading Tagovailoa, potentially while including draft compensation to offset his contract value
- Negotiating a pay reduction if Tagovailoa influences his destination
Several quarterback-needy teams could potentially be interested in Tagovailoa’s services, providing Miami with possible trade partners despite the financial complications.
The Legacy of the 2020 Quarterback Class
The 2020 NFL Draft quarterback class has proven to be one of the most consequential in recent memory. While Burrow went first overall to Cincinnati, the draft also saw:
- Tua Tagovailoa selected No. 5 by Miami
- Justin Herbert taken No. 6 by the Los Angeles Chargers
- Jordan Love selected No. 26 by the Green Bay Packers
Each of these quarterbacks has experienced varying degrees of success and challenges, but the revelation of Miami’s massive offer for Burrow underscores how differently the draft could have unfolded.
Strategic Implications for NFL Team Building
The Dolphins’ attempted trade highlights the extreme measures teams will consider to secure a franchise quarterback. The offer of four first-round picks represents one of the most substantial proposed packages in NFL history for a single player before they’ve taken a professional snap.
Cincinnati’s decision to reject the offer has largely been validated by Burrow’s performance when healthy. He has established himself as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, capable of carrying a franchise to championship contention.
The situation also demonstrates the high-risk nature of quarterback evaluation and acquisition. Despite extensive scouting and analysis, teams must ultimately make franchise-altering decisions with imperfect information.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 Offseason Quarterback Carousel
Both the Dolphins and Bengals face crucial decisions in the upcoming offseason. Miami will likely pursue a new long-term solution at quarterback, whether through the draft, free agency, or trade. The team is also searching for a new general manager to lead this organizational reset.
Cincinnati must build a supporting cast that can maximize Burrow’s prime years and return to playoff contention. The team has shown the capability to compete at the highest level when healthy and properly constructed.
The revelation of Miami’s historic offer adds another layer of intrigue to the ongoing narratives surrounding both franchises as they seek to finally solve their quarterback situations five years after the fateful 2020 draft.
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