The list of names that are no longer with the Miami Dolphins continues to grow at an alarming rate. At some point, the bleeding has to stop. The latest move by Jon-Eric Sullivan sent Jaylen Waddle out the door.
Waddle joins Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovialoa, Jason Sanders, Tyreek Hill, and more as former members of the team. It's been an ugly beginning for Sullivan, but these moves were expected. So was the massive dead cap hit they are taking in the process.
Stephen Ross is paying a lot of money for those guys to play elsewhere. Miami dead money hit has
Stephen Ross is paying more money to former players who are not playing for them than any team in the NFL. Combined, the Dolphins will pay $175 million in contracts.
Miami Dolphins dead cap space has fans of other pro sports laughing while others are disgusted
Comparatively speaking, no one can say that Ross isn't willing to do what it takes to turn his franchise's fortunes around. If only other professional sports franchises were owned by him.
MLB - 12 teams
There are 12 teams in the MLB that have a 2026 payroll that is less than what Miami is paying for these handful of players. The Miami Marlins are so bad that their $82.7 million payroll is just over what the Falcons are paying Tagovailoa to play.
NBA - 3 teams
The Grizzlies, Jazz, and Nets all have payroll that comes under $175 million, with the Nets at $150 million and the Jazz at $172 million for the 2026 season.
NHL - Every team
The NHL doesn't typically carry massive cap numbers, but every one of the teams has a payroll lower than what the Dolphins are paying.
The Dolphins have 14 players who are taking up salary cap space with dead money. Most of these contracts will be gone after the 2026 season.
- Tua Tagovailoa - $54 million (2026) $42 millon (2027)
- Tyreek Hill - $26 million
- Jalen Ramsey - $20 million
- Minkah Fitzpatrick - $12 million
- Terron Armstead - $10 million
- James Daniels - $4.8 million
- Zach Wilson - $3.8 million
- Alec Ingold - $1.9 million
- Jonnu Smith - $1.6 milliion
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - $1.6 milliion
- Matt Judon - $1.3 million
- Bradley Chubb - $10.9 million (2026) $12.8 million (2027)
It's all shocking and sad, but the future looks much better depending on what Sullivan does moving forward. There will always be some degree of dead money on a team's cap, at least typically. Even small contractual moves put money in that column.