The Miami Dolphins are rethinking the quarterback situation after Tua Tagovailoa’s trade has been complicated, thanks to a $56 million hit. While they might go their separate ways, the former Dolphins star Terron Armstead beseeches new head coach Jeff Hafley to keep him.

“If the Miami Dolphins don’t have trade partners for Tua, they should keep him,” said Terron on his podcast, The Set. “If you release Tua, Adam Schefter reported you will be looking at roughly $99 million dead money. His cap hit this year is about $50 million. If you release Tua this year, that’s $50 million going against the cap for somebody not in the building.”

The Dolphins will definitely face serious financial strain if they let him go this year. The 28-year-old signed a new contract extension in 2024, believing they had found their long-term answer at quarterback.

He agreed to a four-year deal worth about $212 million with an average salary of $53 million every season. The total contract also included approximately $167 million as the guaranteed money.

Amid his looming departure ahead of the new season, the Dolphins will pay him $99.2 million in dead money if they cut him before June 1. Instead of bowing to the cost-related concern, Terron suggested that head coach Hafley keep Tua on the roster for the competition.

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Whether the franchise brings someone like Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis through free agency, Quinn Ewers, the backup quarterback from last year, or someone from the NFL Draft, the competitive atmosphere could help him refine his game.

Cutting the QB could cost a humongous amount, but the amount could drop if he is traded to a new team, whether before June 1 or after. To add to the speculation, the franchise GM also weighed in on the star’s future at the franchise.

Dolphins GM weighs in on Tua Tagovailoa’s future with the franchise

Tagovailoa’s production dropped significantly the past season when he managed just 2,660 passing yards with a career-high 15 interceptions, which was why he was benched for the last three regular-season games.

Given his declining recent season and the exit rumor, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan weighed in on the 28-year-old’s future with the franchise.

“Everything’s on the table right now,” Sullivan said at the NFL Combine last week. “It could go in a lot of different ways. A trade is a possibility, but Tua is aware that his representation is aware. We’ve had really positive conversations.”

Tua Tagovailoa was the first-round pick (5th overall) from the 2020 NFL Draft, meaning he has spent his entire career at the Hard Rock Stadium. He became a starter from the rookie season, appearing in 10 games in the first year. While he consistently hit impressive numbers, 2023 was his breakout season when he recorded 4,624 passing yards and became a Pro Bowler.

If a trade deal happens before June 1, the Dolphins will carry a dead money of $45.2 million, but that is where everything could change. A post-June 1 trade allows Miami to split the damage, keeping the 2026 dead cap manageable at roughly $13.4 million, since the acquiring team takes on most of Tagovailoa’s contract.

A post-June 1 release, however, is far harsher, pushing a much heavier dead-cap burden across both 2026 and 2027. In simple terms, trading Tua after June 1 leaves the Dolphins with about $13.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027, totaling roughly $45.2 million, while cutting him would stretch a far more painful bill over multiple seasons.