Dolphins to release Tua Tagovailoa, take on record dead-cap hit
Tua Tagovailoa, former Miami Dolphins quarterback.
That will take some getting used to as Miami general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan announced March 9 the team will release the quarterback at the start of the new league year.
"I recently informed Tua and his representation that we are going to move in a new direction at the quarterback position and will be releasing him after the start of the new league year," Sullivan said in a statement released by the team. "As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behild of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami."
We have informed QB Tua Tagovailoa that he will be released after the start of the new league year. pic.twitter.com/vc0chU6gYk
- Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) March 9, 2026
The Dolphins will take on a record $99.2 million in dead money by releasing Tagovailoa. Miami will split Tagovailoa's dead-cap hit over two seasons by designating him a post-June 1 release, per reports.
An era that began with the "Tank for Tua" campaign, it comes to a close with the team having determined there is nothing left in that tank.
It was a decision that appeared to be inevitable once the Dolphins elected to fire head coach Mike McDaniel on Jan. 8, a move that came just months after the team mutually parted ways with GM Chris Grier on Oct. 31. The Dolphins responded by hiring the Green Bay Packers' defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, as head coach and also Sullivan, the team's vice president of player personnel, to be the new GM.
While the new regime certainly didn't boost Tagovailoa's chances of sticking around in South Beach, his with the Dolphins has been in doubt since being benched ahead of Week 16. Tagovailoa appeared to welcome a change of scenery after the season concluded.
"That would be dope,"Tagovailoa said via Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad, when asked if he was hoping for a fresh start this offseason. "I would be good with it."
The quarterback struggled to remain on the field since being drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, missing at least one game in 5 of 6 seasons. Concussions have been the main storyline for the former Alabama star.
Tagovailoa has suffered four documented concussions during his career. A trio of them have come since entering the NFL.
Despite the concern, Miami still inked him to a four-year, $212.4 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, which carried an average annual value (AAV) of $53.1 million and came with over $167.1 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac.
The penalty for moving on from Tagovailoa this quickly is steep. The Dolphins will take a $67.4 million in dead cap for 2026 - costing them $11 million in cap space for the upcoming season - while still having $31.8 million in dead money tied to Tagovailoa in 2027.
Tagovailoa will finish his Dolphins' career with a 44-32 record in 76 games as a starter. He completed 68% of passes, tossed 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions.
Now the southpaw will head to free agency in the hopes that a fresh start can get his career back on track.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tua Tagovailoa to be released by Dolphins after six seasons