When Jon-Eric Sullivan envisioned running his own NFL franchise, the Miami Dolphins' current situation wasn't one that he likely pictured.
Miami is a mess and has been for years. It's the Chris Grier gift that keeps on giving, or rather taking. Sullivan is trying to dig out from the hole, but the more dirt he shovels, the more that falls back in. Over the last week, the Dolphins GM has had to make calculated moves to get the team cap compliant; then he moved more money around.
According to a report by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins guaranteed $15.2 million of Jaylen Waddle's contract. The amount will free up some space this year, but now we all know that it was to help facilitate the trade that sent him to Denver.
Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has no choice but to do what he said he didn't want to with the cap
On March 12th, the Dolphins officially released Tua Tagovailoa. It wasn't as cut-and-dried as many had expected. Sullivan guaranteed another $15 million of his contract, which allowed the team to shift more to 2027 while giving the team a sliver of spending cash this year.
Waddle's shift of guaranteed money may hit in 2026 as an $11 million cap charge, but the good news is that the Broncos are picking up the bill for next year, freeing the Dolphins of dead money in 2027.
Sullivan has previously mentioned that they don't want to "kick the can down the road," but that is what is happening now to create operational spending space.
"I think anytime you look around the league, there are teams that kick the can down the road every week. So can you? Yes. Will we? I'm not here to say that."Jon-Eric Sullivan
We believed that this might lead to a potential trade, and it took just a couple of days for that to happen. The deal wraps up an ongoing negotiation between the two teams. On paper, it's a win/win for both clubs, but the Dolphins may have gotten the better end of the deal financially.