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The Miami Dolphins probably don’t want to keep Tua Tagovailoa on the roster, but cutting the quarterback would result in possibly the largest dead money salary cap hit in NFL history.
It’s a tricky situation that would be made much easier if another team was willing to acquire the 27-year-old quarterback in a trade. But would any club want to take on Tagovailoa, his remaining contract, and his concussion issues after a rough 2025 season?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport thinks it can happen.
“I’d be surprised if Tua was in Miami [next year],” Rapoport told Jim Rome on a podcast earlier this week. “I think they can trade him. But they’re going to have to eat a lot of the contract to do it, which is OK. They’re paying it anyway, so might as well eat, you know, $30 million. What’s the difference? I think they can trade him.”
Tagovailoa is due to count $56.3 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap next season and cutting him could cause it to balloon to as much as $99.2 million. Even a deal with Miami agreeing to pay $30 million of his salary next season would provide the Dolphins with a significant salary cap reprieve and a much more clean divorce with the quarterback.
In January, Tagovailoa told reporters that he likes the idea of a fresh start with a new team.
In 2025, Tagovailoa threw 20 touchdown passes and a career-high 15 interceptions. He was benched for the last three games of the year with Quinn Ewers taking over as the Dolphins’ starter.