The Miami Dolphins have made a lot of roster cuts this offseason, with the biggest one coming in the form of Tua Tagovailoa's release.
Once the new league year begins, Tagovailoa will be a free agent, with the Dolphins spreading the cap hit over the next two seasons with a post-June 1 designation.
But, when it comes to the 2026 cap hit, how much is Tagovailoa counting against the Dolphins' cap space? NFL Network's Tom Pelissero revealed the cap figures for the next two years, which feature a massive $60+ million dead cap hit in 2026.
Dolphins to take on $60M+ dead cap hit with Tagovailoa cut
"The Dolphins will use a post-June 1 designation for Tua," Pelissero reports, "meaning as of June 1 they can split the dead cap hit: $67.4M in 2026 and $31.8M in 2027."
Those are some massive dead cap hits for the Dolphins, with the 2026 figure being incredibly high. That lofty figure will have a big impact on their free agency plans.
While the Dolphins still have some money to spend, they might be more apprehensive about spending so much on a quarterback this offseason.
Malik Willis, the top free agent QB with ties to Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan, would make a ton of sense in free agency, and the Dolphins are expected to be interested.
But, thanks to Tagovailo's dead cap hit being $67.4 million, they might instead turn to Kyler Murray or Geno Smith as cheaper, veteran minimum starting QB options.
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If the Dolphins didn't use the post-June 1 cut, all of that dead cap would hit in 2026, which would be far too much for any player in one year.
And while this release from the Dolphins is coming months before June 1, the rules allow teams to designate a player as a post-June 1 cut while releasing them at the start of the league year.
But the Dolphins will still feel the impact of a $67.4 million dead cap hit from their six-year lefty Pro Bowl quarterback.
The 2020 fifth-overall pick is on his way out of Miami and will likely land a new veteran minimum deal, which would save $1.3 million for Miami as his new team will pick up a part of his contract following his release.
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