The Miami Dolphins have started shedding veteran players on Monday.
According to multiple reports, the Dolphins are cutting edge rusher Bradley Chubb, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and guard James Daniels.
None of those moves are surprising, as the expectation was the rebuilding Dolphins would part ways with the veterans as the franchise turns the page to a new chapter and a rebuild.
But there is still one more domino to fall: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
What it means for Tua Tagovailoa
The common thread with all four of those cuts is the Dolphins are taking on dead money. And, in the case of Hill and Chubb, the totals are significant.
Cutting Hill leads to the Dolphins taking on $28 million in dead money, while cutting Chubb gives Miami $23 million in dead funds.
If the Dolphins were to cut Tua, which seems like the most likely scenario given the fact that his monster contract will be very difficult to trade, they would incur a massive dead-cap hit.
A pre-June 1 release would mean a historic $99 million dead cap hit. A post-June 1 designation leads to $67.4 million in dead money.
But these cuts clearly show that the Dolphins are not afraid to take these financial blows in 2026 in order to set themselves up for a better financial situation sooner rather than later in the years to come.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz notes that the Dolphins are going to try and trade Tua, but if they can't find a partner, cutting him is very much on the table.
"The Dolphins preference has been to find a trade partner for Tua Tagovailoa. A cut is possible in the end. But that has been their preference. My understanding is new regime doesn’t want it to drag too long," Schultz reported.
Based on what we're seeing on Monday, it would not shock us one bit if Miami just bites the bullet and cuts ties with Tua.
More NFL News