When Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan left the comforts of Green Bay to take on his new job, he knew what he was getting himself into.
Miami was always going to be a complete teardown rebuilding project. Coming from a Packers organization that thrives on drafting and retaining its own talent, that sounds like Sullivan's wheelhouse.
But it's not like the Dolphins can afford to stand pat in free agency altogether. They need some veteran leadership and upgrades to the roster. Many players from last year's team are hitting the open market, so Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley have a lot of flexibility to construct the team to their liking.
A big problem is the Fins' lack of salary cap space for 2026, but that issue isn't quite as big after Friday's massive news that impacts all 32 teams.
Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's salary cap nightmare just became a little less daunting
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media broke the news that the 2026 salary cap is about to go way up, possibly as much as 9.5 percent from this past year:
The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2026
That would represent another significant jump from this year’s $279.2 million cap number, and nearly $100M than the $208.2M cap in 2022. pic.twitter.com/3Mr146H01C
In what other sort of major business model can you expect a 32-way split to appreciate by 9.5 percent year-over-year? That's pretty incredible.
As of writing on OverTheCap.com, the Dolphins are about $30.3 million in the red for 2026. However, that's with a conservative cap estimate of $296.7 million. If you bump it up to the high end of Pelissero's shared projections, then Miami suddenly has an extra $9 million to play with, down to $21.3 million above the max cap room.
One simple move gets the Fins into the black: Cutting injured superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill prior to June 1. That'd free up about $22.9 million in space. And by that I don't mean "outer space." You know what I mean.
A couple of veterans the Dolphins would probably be wise to hold onto this offseason are two defensive standouts in edge defender Bradley Chubb and versatile safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Restructuring their deals on Over the Cap creates an additional $23 million in salary cap real estate or thereabouts.
So that's about $25 million in total space. And that's before other moves I would personally make, such as pulling off a Brock Osweiler-esque trade involving embattled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and a restructure for right tackle Austin Jackson's contract as well.
It has to feel good for Dolphins fans to know that there's actual hope this offseason. Maybe a reunion between Sullivan, Hafley, and Packers QB Malik Willis isn't so far-fetched after all.