Dolphins Face Salary Cap Quandary as Talks Around trading tua tagovailoa Continue
Overview: New regime, tough decisions
The Miami Dolphins entered the 2026 offseason under new leadership after consecutive losing seasons. The team dismissed head coach Mike McDaniel in January, promoted Jon-Eric Sullivan to general manager and hired Jeff Hafley as head coach. One of the earliest and most high-profile tasks for the Hafley-Sullivan tandem has been addressing the future of the roster’s marquee player at quarterback, with the status of veteran QB tua tagovailoa emerging as a central issue.
Medical and performance concerns
Tagovailoa has struggled with health and consistency in recent seasons. Multiple serious concussions and a late-season benching in 2025 in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers have reduced his on-field value and raised medical questions around his ability to lead an offense. Those factors have contributed to league-wide reluctance to acquire the veteran without significant financial accommodation from Miami.
Contract realities and cap implications
Financial constraints are a major reason the Dolphins have not been able simply to move on. An outright release of Tagovailoa this offseason would produce a staggering $99. 2 million dead-money charge against Miami’s salary cap — a figure described as historically large and roughly $42. 8 million more costly than retaining him under the current contract structure. A post-June 1 release could mitigate the immediate hit by spreading it over two years, but the club would still owe roughly $54 million guaranteed in 2026 under that approach.
Because of those terms, any trade is likely to require Miami to absorb a notable portion of the remaining contract or to include other salary offsets. League skepticism centers on whether other clubs will be willing to take on the medical risk and diminished production that have accompanied Tagovailoa’s recent seasons, even if Miami is open to subsidizing salary.
Roster strategies: trade, retain, or transition
With those constraints in mind, Miami realistically has three broad options. First, the team could pursue a trade, attempting to find a partner willing to accept some combination of player assets and salary. Media outlets have floated speculative scenarios — from large multi-asset deals to one-for-one exchanges — but available coverage underscores that any such transaction would likely involve Miami eating significant salary or adding draft capital to entice a partner.
Second, the Dolphins could release Tagovailoa in June and absorb the post-June 1 financial impacts to create roster clarity. That option reduces long-term roster ambiguity but preserves substantial guaranteed costs in the near term.
Third, the front office could keep Tagovailoa and position him as a veteran presence for Quinn Ewers or a newly drafted quarterback. GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has publicly emphasized an organizational strategy of regularly evaluating quarterback prospects in the draft, and the team is expected to target signal-callers again. Retaining Tagovailoa for one season would allow him to mentor a younger quarterback and provide immediate veteran depth while Miami invests draft resources in the position.
Outlook
The decision will balance medical risk, on-field performance, and a contract that limits straightforward roster movement. For now, the Dolphins appear to be exploring all avenues: trade discussions, a potential structured release after June 1, and a scenario in which Tagovailoa competes or mentors during a transitional year. Which path the Hafley-Sullivan era ultimately chooses will hinge on the available trade market, internal evaluations of health and readiness, and broader roster-building priorities heading into the 2026 draft.
