Dolphins Cut Tua Tagovailoa, Creating Record $99 Million Dead Cap Hit

Miami has parted ways with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a move that will saddle the franchise with a staggering $99 million in dead cap space, according to the team’s announcement. The decision marks one of the largest single-player dead-cap charges in league history and signals a dramatic pivot for the Dolphins’ roster construction.

Tagovailoa’s release becomes effective immediately, removing the former first-round selection from the depth chart and leaving Miami to absorb the full financial impact on its 2024 salary cap. The $99 million dead figure represents guaranteed money that was accelerated onto this year’s books, limiting the Dolphins’ flexibility heading into the summer evaluation period.

The move ends months of speculation about the quarterback’s future in South Florida. While the club did not disclose its long-term plan at the position, the immediate cap consequence underscores the magnitude of the organizational reset.

Miami now faces the challenge of rebuilding around a drastically altered cap landscape, with nearly one-half of its available space tied to a player no longer on the roster. The front office will need to navigate free-agency and draft decisions with that constraint firmly in mind.

Neither the team nor Tagovailoa issued extended statements, keeping the focus on the financial ramifications and the broader implications for the Dolphins’ competitive timeline.