What Tua Tagovailoa’s Release Means for Dolphins Heading Forward

The Dolphins have released quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after six seasons. | Rich Storry-Imagn Images

The Dolphins are releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation, Adam Schefter reported Monday morning.

The Dolphins “tried to work creatively” to trade Tagovailoa and were willing to buy back a draft pick, but it ultimately didn’t pan out, according to SI’s Albert Breer.

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Tagovailoa, who just turned 28, wrapped up his sixth season in Miami last year. The Alabama product threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions across 14 starts before getting benched for Quinn Ewers for the final three regular season games of 2025. The Dolphins went 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

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.

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— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 9, 2026

Monday’s release was more or less expected from the Dolphins, as they finally part ways with their 2020 first-round pick following six mostly unfruitful seasons, and each side gets a much-needed fresh start.

“I recently informed Tua and his representation that we are going to move in a new direction at the quarterback position and will be releasing him at the start of the new league year,” Dolphins GM John Sullivan wrote in a statement. “As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami. As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner.”

Tagovailoa bid an emotional farewell to the only NFL home he’s ever known shortly after the news broke:

“To the Miami Dolphins organization, my teammates, the front office and the incredible fans - Thank you for six unforgettable years,” Tagovailoa wrote on Instagram. “... As I prepare for the next chapter, I move forward with gratitude, faith, and memories I’ll cherish for a lifetime. South Florida will always hold a special place in my heart.”

What Tua Tagovailoa’s release means for Dolphins

Miami still owes Tagovailoa $54 million in fully guaranteed money this offseason minus offsets from a minimum deal elsewhere. The team will carry an NFL-record $99.2 million in dead cap and split the dead money over two years.

For Tagovailoa, the ex-Dolphins quarterback is expected to play for the league minimum ($1.215 million) somewhere else in 2026.

Tagovailoa put together a rocky, up-and-down six seasons in Miami that saw him thrive in 2022 and ‘23, his first two years under then-head coach Mike McDaniel. The former Alabama signal-caller led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in ‘23 and recorded a career-high 29 touchdowns, helping Miami achieve its best finish (11-6) during his time with the team as well as clinch their second playoff berth in the Tagovailoa era.

As far as Tagovailoa’s less desirable career highlights, the pick-prone QB made national headlines for suffering four documented concussions since 2019 (one during his time at Alabama). Refusing to hang it up, Tagovailoa has struggled in recent years to live up to the four-year, $212.1 million extension he signed in 2024. His inconsistent quarterback play led to his benching last season, and he will no doubt be looking to revive his NFL career as a newly minted free agent on a quarterback-needy team in 2026 (perhaps the Jets).

With the Tagovailoa chapter of the franchise finally shut and sealed, it’ll be interesting to see where first-year Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley go to find their next franchise quarterback of the future.

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