It was always expected that in order to part ways with Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins would have to take up a large portion of his salary to facilitate a move. But according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, even that might not be enough, as moving on from a player who is already guaranteed a $54 million salary in 2026 won’t be easy.

“That contract is untradeable,” the insider said. “We already know they’re willing to eat a s–tload of it, but I just don’t see a market for him. I think they’re stuck with him, and he’s stuck with them. I don’t think they can pawn him off on anyone. Arizona has a much better chance of trading their problem (Kyler Murray) than Miami does.”

In fact, an unknown NFL executive even said Tagovailoa has a ‘terrible contract that nobody wants to touch.’ He is under contract through 2028, and he’s now entering season two of his four-year, $212 million deal.

Understandably, the Dolphins would want to trade the quarterback since that would mean a $45.2 million dead cap hit, and other scenarios would be a lot costlier. A post-June 1 release would see Miami taking on a $67.4 million dead cap charge, and cutting him outright would mean $99.2 million in dead money.

Add in the fact that the $54 million base salary is fully guaranteed in 2026, so to lighten the financial burden, the only logical step to take is to facilitate a trade for him, even if it means taking on part of his salary, but now, even that might not be enough to entice any one of the 31 teams.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

It’s not like Tua Tagovailoa gave the front office any reason to keep him beyond this season with his performances after he lost his starting role following a loss to the Steelers in Week 15. He ended the season with 2660 yards, 20 scores, 15 picks, and a career-low 46.4% passing success rate.

It is no surprise that General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is actively looking at the market.

Jon-Eric Sullivan says a decision is near

To put the situation into perspective, the Dolphins need to move quickly because the new league year starts next month, and the front office has to sort out some other complications as well about the futures of Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. Tua Tagovailoa’s decision is the priority, and the GM has made it clear that they’re closing in on the decision.

“But we’re getting close to a decision,” Sullivan said. “And when we do, we’ll let Tua know whether he’s going to be part of this or not, and we’ll move forward. But you can rest assured that we will add competition to that room, one way or the other, to make it the best that we can.”

He noted that the team will be closely monitoring quarterback prospects in the draft, like every other year, and eased the room by saying he had a meeting with Tua that went pretty well, while praising the quarterback for everything he’s done over the years.

At the same time, he claimed that competition will surely be added to the room, which will not be contingent upon Tua’s future.

“Tua knows where we are,” he added. “We’ve been very honest and upfront, and Tua also knows that he will be the first to know when we make a decision. So, if Tua is the first to know, you guys can’t be the first to know, and I know that you respect and appreciate that.”

But again, the decision will depend entirely upon whether another team makes a move for him or not, and if they don’t soon, the front office might choose to retain him, adding some depth in the room at the same time.

The only certain thing is that they will not cut him right now to escape the $99.2 dead money. Regardless, it is evident that there will be some clarity soon.