Yr in and yr out, the Miami Dolphins ignored the purple flags and doubled down on their dedication to quarterback Tua Tagovalioa.
In the end, that confidence within the Alabama product got here again to hang-out them.
Tagovailoa is signed by way of the 2028 season, and he is nonetheless owed $121.4 million in wage alone, in response to Spotrac.
As such, even when there is likely to be a marketplace for him, albeit restricted, the Dolphins must embrace some steep compensation to get his contract off the books.
In line with CBS Sports activities insider Jonathan Jones, one unnamed NFL staff could also be keen to accumulate his big contract, supplied the Dolphins additionally give them a first-round choice.
Dolphins must hand over a first-round choose to commerce Tua Tagovalioa
“One high-ranking staff govt informed CBS Sports activities he had thought-about taking up Tagovailoa if the Dolphins would ship a first-round choose to tackle the freight of his contract,” Jones reported. “It’s the kind of deal the NFL frowns upon and one thing that has solely been executed at that degree with Brock Osweiler.”
Again in 2017, the Houston Texans traded Brock Osweiler and a second-round choose to the Cleveland Browns, saving $10M in salary-cap area and $16M in money only one yr after getting a four-year, $72M deal.
If the Dolphins are unwilling to surrender a first-round choose, Jones reviews they may don’t have any selection however to launch their quarterback and unfold the huge cap hit over a number of years:
“The chances have been overwhelmingly in favor of the Dolphins exercising Tagovailoa’s 2026 possibility in some unspecified time in the future 10 days after the beginning of the league yr after which releasing him as a post-June 1 designation,” added Jones. “That may unfold the $99M lifeless cap hit over two seasons and make Tagovailoa free to signal someplace on the veteran minimal.”
That will set a file for the biggest dead-cap hit in NFL historical past, forward of the $85M the Denver Broncos took to half methods with Russell Wilson.
Final season, Tagovailoa accomplished 67.7 % of his passes for two,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 picks, per Pro Football Reference. Notably, questions on his bodily traits and concussions will take a severe toll on his market, whilst a free agent.
