It's a sad thing to be midway through the 2025 season, but have nothing to look forward to. This next offseason will be a big one for the Miami Dolphins.
Two decisions need to be made when the 2025 season officially ends, and only Stephen Ross can make them. He will either fire his head coach or general manager, keep one and not the other, or keep them both.
Regardless of what decision he makes, the following two months will be nothing more than preparing for a rebuild as free agency and the league's new year arrive. It is here that most changes will take place, and for these players, their futures will be decided.
Dolphins have at least four players who will be gone before free agency begins
The 2026 season will see Miami once again needing cap space. They will continue to feast on the dead carcass of $20 million from Jalen Ramsey and the $10 million desert left over from Terron Armstead, but while they are dining, the buffet will get restocked.
Despite the calls for his release, Tua Tagovailoa's contract doesn't flip into Miami's favor until after the 2026 season. Unless the Dolphins want to enjoy a $99 million cap hit, the quarterback will play another season. That is not the case for these players.
Bradley Chubb survived the trade deadline, but he won't make it to March.
Chubb will be a post-June 1 release. The Dolphins can't take on a $23 million cap hit, but it might be the smarter choice of the two. If released before June 1, the Dolphins would only save $7.3 million against that larger hit. The benefit is that it will be a one-year hit, and then it's gone. After the first of June, Chubb's dead money will be spread over the contract length. Miami will eat $10 million against a $20 million savings.
Chubb is simply not the player he used to be, and while Miami needs his leadership, he is earning far too much money at this stage of his career.
Tyreek Hill will most likely be the first player gone when the season ends.
The Dolphins may not wait long to get rid of Hill. As soon as they can designate him as a post-June first release, they probably will. Hill doesn't want to be back in Miami. If he did, his agent wouldn't be saying he does under the right (financial) circumstances. Drew Rosenhaus said it needs to be mutually beneficial for both sides, and we all know Hill won't take a pay cut.
Miami would get $36 million dropped into its lap on June 2, and it would eat $15 million. It's a good trade-off. The other option, releasing him before June, gives Miami a $23.6 million chunk of change, but the team will incur a $28.2 million loss.
Jason Sanders has made his last kick for the Dolphins.
Since going on injured reserve, Sanders has made little progress getting back on the field. The Dolphins are finding out they don't need him, at least not at the current price. Sanders will count as the ninth-highest-salaried player heading into the offseason. His $4.8 million can be turned into a $3.9 million savings.
Sanders has been good the last couple of years, but there is no guarantee that he can continue to do so. The Dolphins need money and will be rebuilding. Fans should expect another bad season in 2026, and spending nearly $5 million on a kicker isn't smart.
Alec Ingold isn't being used enough to warrant his salary hit.
Ingold can be a leader, a bruising hitter from the backfield, and he can catch, but in Mike McDaniel's offense, he is being wasted. At a 2026 price tag of $5 million, the Dolphins would be better off spending the money elsewhere. They could save $3 million by releasing Ingold.
If they are going to use him, it makes sense to keep him around, but his contributions are wasted in an offensive system that isn't designed perfectly for his talent.