The Miami Dolphins were looking at a less-than-ideal salary cap situation that could have pushed a lot of money into next year, but Terron Armstead stepped up and did what few players do these days.
It was announced last week that the Dolphins' starting left tackle would drop his salary to the veteran minimum, giving the team more flexibility in free agency while he contemplates his future.
Armstead considered retirement before last season but opted to run it back for another year. His future is uncertain again this offseason. Armstead only missed two games and still played at a high level, and returning for another season would give the Dolphins' offense a huge boost.
On Thursday, his salary drop finally became a reality. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins gained a little over $13 million in cap space.
Dolphins clear cap space despite Terron Armstead's future remaining unclear
It's great news for the Dolphins, who are out of the red heading into the start of the new league year. At the very least, it is breathing room.
Bradley Chubb will take a similar approach, reducing his base salary to help the Dolphins, but he can earn the entire $21 million by reaching incentives.
There is growing speculation among the media that the Dolphins may opt to release Armstead instead of waiting for him to retire. The left tackle has not yet made a decision, but Miami may feel it's time to move on, with second-year Patrick Paul ready to take over.
The Dolphins drafted Paul in the second round of last year's draft to eventually replace Armstead in the starting lineup. It's a waiting game now, but the Dolphins have said they are moving forward as if Armstead is not going to be on the roster.