Tua Tagovailoa Released by Dolphins, Historic Salary Cap Hit & Top Landing Spots in NFL Free Agency

Tua Tagovailoa's time with the Miami Dolphins has come to an end.

The team announced in a statement Monday that it will release the veteran quarterback when the new league year starts Wednesday:

Tagovailoa, who was on a four-year, $212.4 million contract, is being designated as a post-June 1 cut, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That means his dead cap hit of $99 million will be spread out over two seasons: $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027.

According to OverTheCap.com, a post-June 1 cut adds $11.1 million in additional cap charges for the 2026 season, as Tagovailoa would have counted $56.3 million against the cap had he remained on the roster.

That means cutting Tagovailoa put Miami about $7.8 million over the cap.

Ahead of the start of NFL free agency's legal tampering period on Monday, there are several teams in need of quarterback help that could consider signing Tua as a starter, someone to compete for the starting job or even a backup.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Atlanta Falcons are expected to pursue Tagovailoa.

The teams most in need of an immediate starter include the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets, perhaps making them the top options for Tagovailoa.

Pittsburgh is coming off winning an AFC North title last season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, but it isn't yet clear if Rodgers will return or retire. If Rodgers is not back in the fold in 2026, Tua would give new head coach Mike McCarthy an experienced option under center.

The Jets remain in the midst of the longest active playoff drought in the NFL and there are no signs of them being particularly competitive next season. Tagovailoa would at least have a couple of capable weapons in wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, though.

If Pittsburgh and New York don't work out, Tagovailoa could turn his attention to the Minnesota Vikings to provide competition for J.J. McCarthy or the Arizona Cardinals to compete with veteran Jacoby Brissett for their starting job.

In terms of backup opportunities, the Los Angeles Chargers standout since Tua's former Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel, is now the Chargers' offensive coordinator.

The move ends what was an up-and-down tenure for Tagovailoa in Miami.

Drafted fifth overall in 2020 after a tremendous career at Alabama, Tagovailoa joined the Dolphins with high expectations of becoming the team's franchise quarterback.

The first two seasons of his career were decent, but he started to show real flashes of potential in 2022 when he threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to 13 games, and he missed the team's playoff matchup.

Tagovailoa had a breakout year in 2023, leading the league in passing yards (4,624) while picking up 29 touchdowns. He helped lead the Dolphins to an 11-6 record, their best since 2008, but Miami lost in the wild-card round to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite a shaky start to his career injury-wise, the 2023 campaign gave the Dolphins enough reason to commit to Tagovailoa, as they signed him to a four-year, $212 million extension, with $167.1 million of that guaranteed. The deal, at the time, made him the second-highest-paid quarterback in the league.

The season following his extension saw Tagovailoa regress. He missed six games and finished the season with 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The 2025 campaign was even worse.

In December, amid a rough year for Tagovailoa, the Dolphins opted to bench him for rookie Quinn Ewers, indicating that a possible split was coming. Tagovailoa spent the rest of the year on the sideline, finishing with 2,660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

"Disappointed," Tagovailoa told reporters when asked about the benching. "I'm not happy about it, but something out of my control."

After the Dolphins benched Tagovailoa and it became evident his time with the team was coming to a close, the question became whether Miami would release him or try to find a trade.

The Dolphins cut veteran wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Feb. 16, which was another indication that the team had plans to part ways with Tagovailoa.

Ultimately, the Dolphins decided to cut Tagovailoa, and they'll now try to find their next franchise quarterback.