The Dolphins approach the offseason with serious questions about Tua Tagovailoa‘s status as the team’s starting quarterback. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, people within league circles believe Miami is preparing to take the $99.2 million cap charge to release Tagovailoa this offseason.
Miami could split the cap charge by making Tagovailoa a post-June 1 designation, which would equate to a $55.4 million cap hit in 2026 and another $43.8 million in 2027. However, Florio sources indicate the Dolphins could be ready to take on the full charge in 2026 to free up space in 2027.
This would make things increasingly difficult for Miami to field a competitive roster in 2026, knowing they will be seriously hamstrung financially.
Earlier this week, Jason La Canfora reported there is skepticism from other teams that the Dolphins will be able to pull off a trade involving Tagovailoa. La Canfora said sources with teams in the quarterback market have indicated to him they’re not interested in Tagovailoa, even with the Dolphins willing to pick up a big chunk of his $54 million guaranteed salary.
“That contract is untradeable,” La Canfora quoted one GM as saying. “We already know they’re willing to eat a s–tload of it, but I just don’t see a market for him. I think they’re stuck with him, and he’s stuck with them.”
Tagovailoa is owed a staggering $54 million guaranteed in 2026, and the Dolphins will not have an easy time moving on with that kind of guarantee remaining in his contract. Releasing Tagovailoa would result in a $99 million dead money salary cap charge, which would be the largest in NFL history.
The Dolphins have said one way or another they plan to add competition to the quarterback room this offseason.
Tagovailoa, 27, was selected with the No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 by the Dolphins. He signed a four-year, $30,275,438 rookie contract with a $19,578,501 signing bonus. He earned a base salary of $1,010,000 in the final year of his deal.
The Dolphins picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option worth $23,171,000 for the 2024 season.
From there, the team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth up to $212 million that included $167 million guaranteed.
In 2025, Tagovailoa appeared in 14 games for the Dolphins and completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
We’ll have more on Tagovailoa and the Dolphins as the news is available.
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Tua isn’t going anywhere, not this year. The team can’t cut him and take on the full 99 million this season. It’s impossible. These people haven’t got a clue. Did they not look at our capspace. We’re at 3.1 million capspace, how are we going to take on 99 million. If we cut him after next season, it’s a whole lot easier financially.