The Miami Dolphins announced Monday morning that they’re releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, ending a six-year relationship that featured some exhilarating highs but some exasperating lows, and several significant injuries along the way.
The Dolphins must pay Tagovailoa $54 million guaranteed this season, a figure that could be offset by a deal with a new team.
The Dolphins are releasing Tagovailoa with a post June 1 designation, meaning he will count $67.4 million against their salary cap in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027.
But even though Tagovailoa will become a free agent this week, that cap hit will not be felt by the Dolphins until June 2.
Until June 2, he will remain on the Dolphins’ books with a $56 million cap hit, which would have been his cap hit had the team retained him this coming season.
“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” on Wednesday, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said in a statement.
“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf 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.
“As we move forward, we will be focused on unfusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner.”
Tagovailoa, 28, was benched for the Dolphins’ final three games and his return was always considered unlikely. Miami attempted to trade him but found no takers.
By releasing him before Friday, the Dolphins avoid paying him $3 million for 2027, a figure that would have become guaranteed on Friday.
The Dolphins are expected to try to sign Green Bay free agent quarterback Malis Willis. If they cannot, they plan to sign a veteran to compete with Quinn Ewers.
The proverbial nail in the coffin for Tagovailoa came in the first quarter of a MNF game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With just over eight minutes left on the clock, Tagovailoa fired a pass to a seemingly wide open Jaylen Waddle. The ball wobbled in the air, seemingly unable to truly slice through the cold wind, and into the arms of Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Tagovailoa would finish the game, throwing only six incompletions en route to 254 yards and two touchdowns, yet one thing became clear following what would be his 15th interception and his subsequent benching for the final three games of the season: he might’ve played his last game in the aqua and orange.
Tagovailoa closed his Dolphins career with a 44-32 record and No. 2 in the team record books, behind Dan Marino, in several areas. He threw 120 touchdowns and 59 interceptions and led the league in passer rating in 2022 (105.5) and passing yards in 2023.
He arrived with great fanfare. Affectionally known as the “Tank for Tua” year, the Dolphins’ dismal 2019 season landed the franchise the fifth overall pick.
Tagovailoa was thought to be one of the better quarterback prospects – even if hip surgery had derailed his final year in Tuscaloosa. Despite the injury concerns and reported disagreement in the front office, the Dolphins decided to draft Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert (No. 6) and Jordan Love (No. 26)
“I’m very grateful, and I’m honored that the fans think so (highly) of me,” Tagovailoa said of the “Tank for Tua” mantra in his first media availability since the draft. “It’s a different ball game. What I did in college can’t translate to the NFL. It’s a clean slate. What I’ve got to do is I’ve got to go out there and earn my respect and earn the trust from my teammates.”
Tagovailoa’s NFL career did not get off to a great start. He sat the first six games of the season, coming in briefly in Week 6 during a 24-0 blowout of the New York Jets. Then came the directive: start Tagovailoa after the Week 7 bye.
In what seemingly appeared impossible at the time, Tagovailoa would lead the Dolphins to a 28-17 upset over the Los Angeles Rams and its first-ranked defense, completing just 55% of his passes for 93 yards and a touchdown though he lost a fumble. He would end his first season with a 6-3 record as a starter, missing just one game with a thumb injury.
Tensions began to rise in Year 2. In Week 2, Tagovailoa fractured his ribs and would spend the next three games on injured reserve. Brian Flores reportedly wanted to trade Tagovailoa for Deshaun Watson. And despite being the first team in NFL history to lose seven straight games then turnaround and win seven consecutive, the tensions in the locker room would reach a boiling point after the Dolphins’ 34-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans that effectively eliminated them from the playoffs.
In the offseason, a decision needed to be made. Should the Dolphins stick with Flores or side with Tagovailoa? Miami ultimately picked the quarterback and parted ways with Flores. Tagovailoa would later call his former coach a “terrible person.”
“If you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this,” Tagovailoa said during an Aug. 2024 episode of “The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz.” He later added his time with Flores damaged his confidence. “If you have a terrible person that’s telling you things you don’t want to hear or that you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself.”
The Dolphins ultimately hired Mike McDaniel, a bright offensive mind who could potentially unlock the franchise quarterback. Throw in the offseason acquisitions of receiver Tyreek Hill and tackle Terron Armstead, the future appeared as bright as a South Florida summer sun.
“Tua is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, so just his ball placement, getting us the ball in space, perfect placement and us just utilizing our speed, utilizing our best asset,” Hill said in March 2022. “And that’s just being dangerous.”
The McDaniel era began with a bang. Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to three straight victories, two of which came over the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, respectively, as the quarterback would complete 71% of his throws for 925 yards, eight touchdowns and just two interceptions. Although Tagovailoa would have a scary moment in which his head bounced off the turf in the second quarter against the Bills, he would return to the game.
In the second quarter of a Week 4 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa suffered the first of his three NFL concussions when defensive tackle Josh Tupou slammed him on his head. The then-23-year-old was subsequently stretchered off and would miss the following two games. Tagovailoa would return in Week 7 and go 5-4 over his next nine starts.
A third significant hit to his head occurred once again in the second quarter of the eventual 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers in which Tagovailoa went face-first into the turf. He would later be diagnosed with a concussion and miss the final three games of the season, including a 34-31 loss to the Bills in the 2022 AFC Wild Card Playoff matchup.
Regardless of the way that his season ended, Tagovailoa benefitted greatly from McDaniel’s hiring as he experienced jumps in both passing yards and touchdowns while his interceptions dropped. The Dolphins quarterback even led the league in several categories including passer rating (105.5), yards per attempt (8.9) and touchdown percentage (6.3).
McDaniel’s second year proved to be the pinnacle. Not only did Tagovailoa lead the league’s most prolific offense, he completed the first 17-game season of his career and earned a Pro Bowl nod as a result of the Dolphins’ 11-6 finish. He also set career-highs in passing touchdowns, completions and yards, the last of which ranked No. 1 in the league.
Still, the Dolphins would lose a 26-7 postseason contest to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs in one of the coldest games in NFL history.
With McDaniel only the third coach in franchise history to make the playoffs in his first two years, expectations were even higher in 2024. Fresh off his Pro Bowl season, however, Tagovailoa wanted to get paid. Jordan Love had gotten the bag. Trevor Lawrence had gotten the bag. Now, it was his turn.
Tagovailoa would sit out for most of the offseason. Eventually, the Dolphins rewarded him with a four-year, $212.4 million extension. It didn’t take long for regret to seemingly set in – by Week 3, he had suffered a third concussion after he dove head-first into the abdomen of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa would spend the following five weeks on IR and the Dolphins went 1-3 over that stretch.
As questions about his NFL future began to swirl, he appeared indignant.
“I love this game and I love it to the death of me,” Tagovailoa said in Oct. 2024, visibly annoyed that “this is only becoming a thing just because of what ended up happening two years ago.”
Added Tagovailoa: “Every time we all suit up, we’re all taking a risk that we could potentially get hurt, whether it’s a concussion, a broken bone, anything. You get up off of the bed the wrong way, you potentially could risk you spraining your ankle. There’s just risk in any and everything, and I’m willing to play the odds, that’s it.”
The Dolphins would go 5-4 upon his return to the lineup until the injury bug bit once again. This time, it occurred when two Houston Texan defenders sandwiched Tagovailoa, with one hitting his surgically repaired hip. Although he finished the game, throwing an unremarkable three picks along the way, he would miss the final two games of the season.
After the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs for the first time in the McDaniel era, Tagovailoa’s lack of availability became a heavily discussed topic. Even then-general manager Chris Grier weighed in at season’s end with a message that looks ominously prescient in hindsight.
“To see where he’s come from, from his early time here was impressive,” Grier said in January 2025. “That being said, he needs to be available. He needs to know how to protect himself. You’re going to get hit at times, it’s always going to happen, but he needs to control what he can control. He understands that. Not being available for taking chances and risk is unacceptable to us.”
Those words seemingly caused Tagovailoa to play timid in 2025. From the very beginning of the season, he looked different. His completion percentage dipped. His turnovers had skyrocketed. And, worst of all, his team couldn’t win.
For most of the season, McDaniel and the Dolphins appeared okay with it. That is, until after the 28-15 loss to the Steelers when McDaniel opted for a quarterback change.
“The decision is complicated but simple; the simple piece is I think Quinn gives this team the best chance to win,” McDaniel said at the time.
With the offense now in the hands of rookie Quinn Ewers, Tagovailoa was demoted to QB3. The former franchise quarterback was disappointed but supported his replacement until the very end. Only on locker room clean out day did he reveal that a fresh start “would be dope.”