Tua Tagovailoa is being released by the Miami Dolphins, the team has announced.
The 28-year-old quarterback, who only signed a four-year, $212million contract in July 2024, endured a nightmare 2025 campaign as Miami went 7-10 and missed out on the playoffs once again.
Before the season was out, then-head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa after he threw a career-high 15 interceptions and recorded fewer than 200 passing yards on eight occasions, with rookie Quinn Ewers replacing him for the final three games.
And following their miserable year, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has announced that they are going their separate ways – which will result in a staggering $99.2m dead cap hit for the team next season.
‘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 after the start of the new league year,’ Sullivan said in a statement early Monday morning.
‘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.’
By cutting their franchise quarterback, the Dolphins are taking on close to $100m in dead money split over two years, which is an NFL record.
Amid speculation over his future in Miami, Tagovailoa revealed that a split was on the cards back in January.
When asked whether he would like a fresh start, he told reporters: ‘That would be dope. I would be good with it.’
The former Alabama star was selected by Miami with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2020 Draft and became starting quarterback midway through his rookie year.
He didn’t reach the playoffs until his third season, only to miss their Wild Card round defeat to the Buffalo Bills after suffering three concussions within as many months – an issue which would go on to plague his time at Hard Rock Stadium.
His first postseason outing the following year ended in defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Dolphins failed to make it back the next year when Tagovailoa missed six games due to a hip injury and yet another concussion, leading to concerns over his health.
The Hawaii-born signal caller then saw his form plummet in 2025 as McDaniel’s team failed to reach the playoffs for the second straight year, with both of them losing their jobs as a result.
While it will cost them a record amount in dead money, Tagovailoa’s departure allows the Dolphins to embark on a fresh start at quarterback in 2026.
Miami holds the 11th overall pick in this year’s Draft, with head coach Jeff Hafley also in need of a reinforcement at cornerback with the likes of Rasul Douglas and Storm Duck potentially heading for free agency.
