How can the Dolphins move off Tua Tagovailoa?

As of today, the Miami Dolphins sit in football purgatory.

At 2-7, they are one of the worst teams in the NFL. However, unlike their fellow bottom-dwellers, the Dolphins are in proverbial draft capital and salary cap hell. Of the 10 worst teams in the NFL, only the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints currently have less cap space going into the 2026 NFL season.

Expected Cap Space in 2026 Among NFL’s 10 Worst Teams (via OverTheCap)

1. New Orleans Saints (1-8): -$14 million
2. Tennessee Titans (1-9): $112 million
3. New York Jets (1-7): $74 million
4. New York Giants (2-7): $16 million
5. Miami Dolphins (2-7) : -$11 million
6. Cleveland Browns (2-6): -$13 million
7. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7): $103 million
8. Washington Commanders (2-5): $84 million
9. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6): $69 million
10. Atlanta Falcons (3-5) : $4 million

This, of course, is in large part due to the contract signed by starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in 2024. That offseason, with his 5th-year option from his rookie deal still on the table, the Dolphins decided to sign Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension. The deal works out to about $53 million per year in AAV (average annual value), 6th-highest in the league.

At the time, many questioned the choice to sign a small, injury-prone quarterback to such a large deal. Reports suggest that head coach Mike McDaniel was a driving factor in the deal, pushing now ex-general manager Chris Grier to get it done. Grier obliged, Tua signed, and here we are at 2-7.

Now, the elephant in the room—Chris Grier is no longer with the Dolphins, Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat, and Tua Tagovailoa is a shadow of the player he once was.

So, what now?

Well, should the Dolphins decided to “blow it up” and attempt to build a winning franchise, that process will almost certainly have to start with finding a way to move off Tagovailoa, whose contract is arguably among the worst in the league. Though tricky, the Dolphins actually have a couple options on the table.

Before we begin, I think it’s important to go over the importance of the infamous “June 1st” deadline, and what it means in regards to cutting or trading a player.

Pre-June 1st Deadline:

• If a player is released or traded before June 1st of the current NFL season, all remaining signing bonus money and future guarantees are hit against the current season’s salary cap.
• This is known as “dead money” and can be a large, one-time cap penalty.
• Teams often prefer this option, as it allows them “rip off the Band-Aid” and take on all the dead cap money at once.

Post-June 1st Deadline:

• By designating a player for a “post-June 1st” cut, a team can split the dead money hit over two years. For example, a $12 million cap charge could be split into a roughly $4 million charge this year and an $8 million...