MIAMI, March 9 (UPI) -- The Miami Dolphins will release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan announced Monday.
Tagovailoa's release, which will carry a post-June 1 designation, will result in a dead salary cap hit of $99.2 million, an NFL record. That hit will spread over two seasons, with a $67.4 million charge in 2026 and $31.8 million charge in 2026, if the Dolphins renounce a $15 million option in Tagovailoa's contract.
Miami, which selected Tagovailoa as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, signed the quarterback to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in 2024. He completed just one year of that new deal, receiving about $124.867 million.
Sullivan, who was hired in January, said he recently informed Tagovailoa and his representation that he would be released after 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the start of the new league year.
"As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is," Sullivan wrote in a statement issued by the Dolphins. "On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami."
