Releasing Benched QB Tua Tagovailoa Would Mean Massive Cap Hit For Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers, a person with knowledge of the quarterback change told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he was considering it after a 28-15 loss to the Steelers on Monday night eliminated Miami (6-8) from playoff contention.

Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and hasn’t played up to his contract after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024.

The 27-year-old Tagovailoa had started every game this season but has a history of concussions. He missed six games last season after playing 17 games in 2023. He led the NFL in yards passing that season, helped the Dolphins win 11 games to earn a wild-card spot and earned a big contract that included $167.2 million guaranteed.

A total of $54 million is guaranteed for 2026. The Dolphins would incur significant hits to the salary cap by releasing Tagovailoa. Releasing him next year before June 1 would result in a $99.2 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a post-June 1 release, those charges are split over two years with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027. If Tagovaiola were to be traded instead of released, the Dolphins would still have to contend with $45.2 million in dead money.

The Denver Broncos took the NFL's all-time biggest cap hit of $85 million for releasing Russell Wilson in 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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