Tua Tagovailoa has been benched by the Miami Dolphins, who will move forward with rookie Quinn Ewers, selected in the seventh round of the most recent draft.
As a result, a major contractual gap now looms for the Dolphins in the coming years, and every possible scenario involves a decision that will carry significant consequences for the franchise’s salary cap, especially heading into the 2026 season.
How Does Tua Tagovailoa’s Contract Impact the Dolphins’ Plans for 2026?
Tagovailoa’s inconsistent play throughout the season led Miami to make this decision after the team was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
In 2024, Tagovailoa signed a massive contract with the Dolphins worth four years and $212.4 million, with $167.1 million guaranteed, after a season in which the franchise reached the playoffs under his leadership, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
That had been the best year of Tagovailoa’s NFL career, and the extension made sense at the time.
With the poor performance this season, the team had to scramble to recover after starting the year 2-7. The turnaround came with four straight wins, but one more bad game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the most recent Thursday Night Football was enough for Miami to be eliminated from the playoffs, and with that, the plans changed.
Tagovailoa was benched on Wednesday morning, and that likely means the franchise will head into 2026 with a different quarterback, potentially even Ewers, depending on how he performs in the final weeks of the season. However, that would require Miami to absorb a significant cap loss.
QB Tua Tagovailoa’s benching doesn’t just give the #Dolphins a chance to see Quinn Ewers in action for a few weeks, but it also protects a $20M injury guarantee that exists in 2027 which would further complicate a potential trade or release (that is already very difficult).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 17, 2025
Tagovailoa’s contract carries a base salary of $53.1 million in 2026, and when bonuses are included, his cap hit rises to $39.2 million. Cutting him would leave almost $138 million in dead cap, making a straight release unfeasible. There should also be a trade market for Tua, even if only for a low draft pick.
If the decision is made to move him, Miami’s options will depend on the direction the franchise chooses and whether it wants to absorb most of the financial hit immediately or spread it out over future years. A pre-June 1 trade would result in $99.2 million in dead money with no cap savings.
If the Dolphins designate Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 trade, the dead money would be split over two years, with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 in 2027. If Tagovailoa is traded, the Dolphins would still be on the hook for $45.2 million in dead money. This will be a situation to monitor closely during the 2026 offseason.
There is still the possibility that Miami keeps Tagovailoa on the roster for 2026 and attempts to salvage the relationship, especially since there is no more guaranteed money in his contract starting in 2027. Even so, the expectation is that this was indeed Tua’s final game as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, with a contract split being the most likely path.
Tagovailoa is currently ranked 25th in the PFSN QBi with a grade of 72.1, and throughout the season his mistakes were not offset by enough positive plays, directly costing Miami games. With what has been one of the strongest quarterback classes in decades, Tua is now viewed as the outlier, with a disappointing career trajectory.
