The Miami Dolphins have some major question marks at the quarterback position this offseason. Tua Tagovailoa will likely be released, leaving the Dolphins with a massive $99.2 million dead cap charge.
The Dolphins would surely love to sign Kyler Murray, who is likely to sign a veteran minimum contract, as their Tagovailoa replacement. But, according to Connor Hughes of SNY, Murray is expected to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Las Vegas Raiders are set to release Geno Smith. While he's not the top QB free agent, similar to Murray, Smith is in line to land a veteran minimum contract after his release from the Raiders.
Dolphins should sign Geno Smith after Raiders' release
Schefter notes that this release of Smith from the Raiders will "open up $8M in salary cap space while taking on $18.5M in dead money."
That dead money for the Raiders, $18.5 million, will likely mean Smith won't need to sign a massive free agent contract this offseason.
If the Dolphins offer a veteran minimum contract or a cheap deal overall, Smith will likely be willing to accept, since he's still making the money from his Raiders' contract.
With the massive cap hit set to come from Tagovailoa, the Dolphins' best bet this offseason would be to sign someone like Murray or Smith to a veteran minimum contract to have a quarterback for very cheap.
Tagovailoa will, at the very least, count for $50 million in cap space in 2026 for Miami. Adding a quarterback on a veteran minimum deal would be a massive boon for the Dolphins.
More: Tua Tagovailoa has say over how his contract is restructured in a trade
With Murray seemingly not likely to join the Dolphins, Smith is the next best option. While he threw 17 interceptions to 19 touchdowns in 2025 with the Raiders, his days with the Seattle Seahawks are a reason for optimism.
He had a 27-22 record in three seasons (2022-2024) for Seattle, throwing for 12,226 yards while completing 68.5% of his passes. He had 71 touchdowns to 35 interceptions during this time, and had a solid 95.5 passer rating.
The 35-year-old might not carry the same upside as Murray, but if the Dolphins are looking for a cheap quarterback to last a year before an expected stacked 2027 QB draft class, then Smith would be a solid option for the Dolphins this offseason.
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