At long last, the Miami Dolphins have officially cut quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a post-June 1st designation, as per the team’s official social media account.
The news broke on March 9th that the Dolphins were preparing to release Tagovailoa, after the team found no trade suitors. A few hours later, another report by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero suggested that the Falcons were signing Tagovailoa to a one-year deal, for the veteran minimum of just $1.3 million dollars.
Of course, up until today, none of this was official. As you may or may not know, deals can fall apart at any time. Look no further than Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders, whom the Baltimore Ravens traded for before suddenly backing out at the last second due to “injury concerns”.
But the deal is now official and has been signed off by the league, meaning Tagovailoa has taken his last snap for the Dolphins. A post-June 1st designation means the Dolphins will be able to spread out his dead cap hit over two seasons, rather than one. Crucially, the Dolphins also exercised his 2026 option bonus prior to his release, meaning the cap hit will be even lower than initially expected.
Where do the Dolphins go after Tua?
Luckily, the Dolphins already have their replacement. The team signed Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis to a 3-year, $67 million deal with $45 million guaranteed. The deal is very team friendly, with Willis set to receive just $1.25 million guaranteed salary in 2026 (with a $22 million signing bonus) and $21.5 million in 2027.
Willis started 4 games for the Packers last year, completing 30 of 35 pass attempts for 422 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
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