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Marcel Louis-Jacques
Multiple Authors
In Miami Gardens, Florida, the Dolphins are set to cut ties with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa once the upcoming league year commences, a decision that will result in the team incurring an unprecedented $99.2 million in dead cap space, the highest in NFL history.
On Monday, the Dolphins publicly stated their plan to part ways with Tagovailoa. According to an ESPN source, Adam Schefter, the team’s move to release Tagovailoa will be structured as a post-June 1 designation, enabling the franchise to distribute the financial impact of the dead money across two fiscal years.
“Our future strategy involves fostering widespread competition throughout the squad and laying a robust groundwork for the team, as we aim to cultivate a consistently successful organization,” stated Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan within the team’s official announcement.
This post-June 1 classification will burden the Dolphins with a $67.4 million dead cap penalty in 2026, with an additional $31.8 million in 2027. This action concludes Tagovailoa’s six-year tenure in Miami, notably occurring just one year after he inked a landmark contract extension in 2024, the largest in team history.
Sullivan remarked, “I recently conveyed to Tua and his agents our decision to pursue a different course of action regarding the quarterback role, and consequently, we will be releasing him once the new league year commences.”
“I communicated to Tua my deep admiration for him as an individual and as an athlete. Representing the Miami Dolphins, I conveyed our appreciation for his numerous contributions, both athletically and philanthropically, throughout his six years with the team,” he added.
Tagovailoa is due $54 million in guaranteed compensation from the Dolphins in 2026, which will be reduced by any earnings he receives from a subsequent team. This dead cap figure surpasses the prior record of $85 million, which the Denver Broncos incurred when releasing Russell Wilson in 2024.
Later on Monday morning, Tagovailoa shared a goodbye message via social media, addressing both the Dolphins organization and its fanbase, stating that “donning this uniform and serving as a representative of this metropolis has been among my life’s most profound delights.”
He conveyed, “As I brace myself for the subsequent phase of my journey, I advance with thankfulness, conviction, and recollections I will forever treasure.” He further noted, “The South Florida region will perpetually occupy an esteemed position within my affections.”
Tagovailoa’s departure represents the most recent action in a substantial offseason overhaul undertaken by the Dolphins, orchestrated by Sullivan and their recently appointed head coach, Jeff Hafley.
Having concluded the 2025 season with a 7-10 record, marking their second consecutive year missing the postseason, the Dolphins had previously cut several key players last month, including star wideout Tyreek Hill, experienced defensive end Bradley Chubb, offensive guard James Daniels, and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Furthermore, on Monday, Miami completed a trade, sending defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets, according to sources privy to ESPN.
For several months, Tagovailoa’s prospects with the Miami franchise were a subject of intense public discussion, particularly after he was sidelined for the concluding three matchups of the 2025 campaign. At the NFL scouting combine, Sullivan indicated that “all options remained open” concerning the erstwhile first-round selection, even a potential trade.
Nevertheless, a trade failed to materialize, culminating in Tagovailoa’s subsequent release. His exit leaves the Dolphins with Quinn Ewers, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 draft, as their most seasoned signal-caller currently remaining on the squad.
Sullivan communicated that the Dolphins anticipate selecting a quarterback in the upcoming draft and might acquire another through free agency – albeit he clarified that they do not intend to be “extravagant spenders” during the team’s roster reconstruction phase.
Following a distinguished collegiate career at Alabama, Tagovailoa was chosen by the Dolphins as the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft. He assumed the role of permanent starting quarterback for the team in 2021, accumulating 2,653 passing yards and 16 touchdown throws versus 10 interceptions.
Tagovailoa experienced a breakthrough season in 2022, his inaugural year under coach Mike McDaniel, amassing 3,548 yards through the air and 25 touchdown passes, propelling a Dolphins offense that ranked sixth overall. Despite this, he was sidelined for four contests subsequent to sustaining two officially recorded concussions, along with a third head impact that prompted the NFL to revise its concussion protocol.
In 2023, Tagovailoa topped the NFL in passing yardage with 4,624 and achieved a personal best of 29 touchdown throws; he participated in every one of Miami’s 18 matchups, including an AFC wild-card defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. During the subsequent offseason, he inked a four-year contract extension valued at $212.4 million with the Dolphins, positioning him as the highest-compensated athlete in the team’s history.
Tagovailoa achieved the highest completion percentage in the league in 2024, yet he was absent for a career-maximum six games due to a concussion and a hip injury sustained late in the season. His performance demonstrated variability across the entire season, a pattern that persisted into 2025, culminating in his eventual benching for the concluding three contests after he recorded a career-worst 15 interceptions.
