Handicapping Who the Next Players To Go Will Be

The Miami Dolphins began the reshaping of their roster with the release of four veterans Monday, but that almost assuredly was just the start.

The Dolphins got themselves in the positive related to salary cap space, but there remain moves to be made, players to be released or even traded.

But who are the next in line?

Let's examine the strong possibilities:

NEXT VETERANS WHO COULD BE OUT THE DOOR

QB Tua Tagovailoa — This one is pretty obvious, with the writing seemingly on the wall that the Dolphins will be moving on from their 2020 top draft pick. It should be no secret that the Dolphins ideally would prefer trading him than releasing him, though, it might not be easy to find a trade partner for a quarterback with a troubling injury history coming off the worst season of his career. It also should note the report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz indicating the Dolphins would like a resolution sooner rather than later.

WR Jaylen Waddle — The Dolphins are not going to release Waddle, but it would be foolish to dismiss the idea that they might trade. Just think back to the 2025 trade deadline when reports surfaced there was significant interest in him and De'Von Achane commented on Amon-Ra St. Brown's podcast that he thought his teammate and fellow Houston buddy was on his way out. Waddle is a quality wide receiver, but the issue with him is a looming $33 million cap figure for 2027. If the Dolphins get a good offer for him, it might make sense to trade him.

S Minkah Fitzpatrick — The issue here is that Fitzpatrick had only one year left on his contract and it's probably not realistic to expect the Dolphins to be contenders in 2026, so why not get something for him now when he still should have good value around the league. The Dolphins also would save $5 million against the cap in 2026, but this is more about asset management than a cap decision.

T Austin Jackson — Jackson has been a solid start at right tackle for Miami, but he's also missed a combined 36 games over the past four seasons, including a combined 35 in the 2022, 2024 and 2025 seasons. Bottom line, it might be that the Dolphins simply can't depend on him being able to go the distance. He would seem a logical candidate to be a post-June 1 cut, which would save Miami some $11 million against the cap, though it makes little sense in terms of the cap to release him otherwise.

K Jason Sanders — This might become a tough break for Sanders, but Riley Patterson did a great job in his absence last season and the Dolphins probably can save some cap space by re-signing him and moving on from their longtime kicker.

FB Alec Ingold — The Dolphins can save $3 million off the cap by releasing Ingold and, though Ingold is a good player and good leader, they will have to ask themselves whether the limited amount of snaps fullbacks play might justify moving on.

Ranking the next six veterans most likely to go:
1. QB Tua Tagovailoa
2. K Jason Sanders
3. T Austin Jackson
4. FB Alec Ingold
5. S Minkah Fitzpatrick
6. WR Jaylen Waddle