New Dolphins regime may make extreme Tua Tagovailoa decision

A recent report claimed that new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley will part ways with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at some point after the new league year opens on March 11. 

It was previously noted that designating Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 release would allow the Dolphins to spread salary-cap hits related to that move across the 2026 and 2027 seasons. On Tuesday night, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicated that Miami could move on from Tagovailoa in a more extreme way. 

Will Dolphins eat all the Tua Tagovailoa cap charges this year? 

"If they make Tagovailoa a post-June 1 designation, they’d be able to split the cap charges, with $55.4M applying in 2026 and $43.8M landing in 2027," Florio wrote about the Dolphins. "If the Dolphins opt not to use the device that spreads the cap consequences over two years, they’d take the full $99.2M cap charge this year. That would clear him from the books for 2027. Some in league circles think the Dolphins may do just that."

The new Dolphins regime has already embraced a roster purge that involved moving on from talents such as pass-rusher Bradley Chubb and injured wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Additionally, the Dolphins currently have no long-term answer at quarterback on their roster. 

In March 2024, the Denver Broncos ate the largest dead cap hit in NFL history to part ways with quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos have since made it to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and came close to playing in this year's Super Bowl. Thus, those running the Dolphins may understandably want to follow in Denver's footsteps. 

Would Dolphins "soft tank" 2026 season with future in mind?

"With the cap for 2026 projected to fall between $301.2M and $305.7M for the coming year, anywhere from 32.4 percent to 32.9 percent of the team’s total cap space would be allocated to Tagovailoa," Florio continued. "Taking the full charge in 2026 would fairly be characterized as a soft tank. By deferring $43.8M into 2027, when the cap likely will be higher, the relative impact of the dollars would be smaller than it will be in 2026."

If nothing else, such a move would seem to show that Hafley won't be in danger of becoming a one-and-done head coach in his current role. It may also demonstrate that Sullivan understands what his roster lacks this winter.