The Miami Dolphins are moving on very early from Tua Tagovailoa and the four-year, $212.4 million contract extension he played just one season under.
News broke in the earliest wave of the NFL's free agency frenzy that Tua himself would hit the market once the Dolphins made his release official at the dawn of the new league year. He'll then sign with the Atlanta Falcons, as Malik Willis prepares to take over as Miami's QB1 despite the limited cap flexibility brought on by Tua's massive dead cap hit.
GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is embarking upon a multi-year rebuild, and the embattled QB's release is a harsh indictment of the prior regime based on the contract situation alone.
Depth of Miami Dolphins' failure exposed in post-release Tua Tagovailoa contract details
SI.com's Albert Breer provided a solid big-picture view of what Tua's release means in the context of how long his lucrative second contract was meant to last.
Presuming Tua Tagovailoa plays for the minimum this year, the Dolphins will wind up paying nearly $147 million for two years on his 2024 contract. They had him, at the time, on a $23.4 million option for '24, so Miami paid over $123 million for one additional year of Tua.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 9, 2026
😳
Courtesy of OverTheCap.com guru Jason Fitzgerald (dope surname) and Spotrac, we also have a fuller snapshot of just how devastating Tua's extension was for the Dolphins.
Dolphins will be able to split Tuas dead money at either
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) March 9, 2026
$67.4M/$31.8M
or
$55.4M/$43.8M.
Depends on what they do with an option bonus. My understanding of the rule is they could exercise the option and still use the June 1.
Tua Tagovailoa's Post 6/1 Designation Scenarios
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 9, 2026
No matter how you slice it, it's $54M cash out the door ($1.3M of which likely comes back via offset).
And it's $99.2M of total dead cap. pic.twitter.com/oM8jOVn7bB
Lots to digest there. All of it bad. No great options for Miami, or any way to sugarcoat the framing of this narrative.
Now look. Take all the variables and extenuating circumstances out of it. Signing a QB to a contract extension right on the heels of a 2023 season where he led the NFL in passing yards doesn't sound like bad business. But that's about all the defense you'll find on Tua's account.
The Dolphins put their blinders on when it came to the long view of Tua's career. Mike McDaniel got the most out of his skill set with a system tailor-made for his strengths that masked some limitations.
It's no secret that Tua doesn't have the rocket arm of AFC East counterparts like Josh Allen or Drake Maye. His extensive injury history, specifically multiple concussions, should've been enough alone to give Miami pause on investing a top-market QB contract in Tua, despite his awesome production during the start of the McDaniel era.
Still only 28 years old, Tua has time to resurrect his career. He's much more appealing as a free agent playing on a minimum contract, hence why the Falcons scooped him up so fast. Tua could thrive in an indoor home stadium, with an excellent offensive line and supporting cast led by tailback Bijan Robinson. All that could help him find the confidence to regain the form that got him that huge second contract in the first place.
As Dolphins free agent Darren Waller asserted a while back, it's as much about the mental side of the game and overcoming the trauma of his major injuries for Tua as it is his physical ability to play football at a high level. A harsh reality, to be sure, but one Miami's new front office and coaching staff quickly came to terms with.
Tua's whole saga shows how unforgiving and brutal the NFL can be. He gets trolled to no end as if people forget he's already gone through multiple traumatic head injuries that could have a huge impact on his post-football quality of life.
Can't help but wish him all the best and hope he finds some success in Atlanta. At the same time, the Dolphins wisely acknowledged what everyone already knows: Tua's contract was a historic disaster.