The Tua Tagovailoa era in Miami could be coming sooner rather than later.
During the final push for the 2024 playoffs, Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stood on the sidelines.
It has become an all-too-familiar scene with Tua over the years due to various injuries he has obtained on the field of play.
The Dolphins handed Tagovailoa the largest contract in team history only months after he had finished his first and only complete NFL season.
In July 2024, the Dolphins handed him a four-year, $212.4 million extension.
The team had a chance to make some moves this offseason if they decided to do what a lot of other teams have done, and that is restructure the contracts of their star players.
The Dolphins could have saved $19M in cap space this year if they had done that with Tua Tagovailoa. That’s a significant amount of money for a football team in desperate need of cash flow. I
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They curiously chose not to.
So, why haven’t the Dolphins gained the money they can get now if Tua is the future of the franchise?
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald alluded to the fact that Tua isn’t guaranteed to be the long-term solution at quarterback.
Ryan's point is one I keep going back to. A simple Tua restructure immediately fills other guard spot, safety and corner with proven players with that 19 M in space. But adds 4.8 M to Tua cap hit in 26,27,28,29. https://t.co/QIzG0RtUGA
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 18, 2025
By keeping his contract as it is, the team has set themselves up to release Tua after the 2026 season with only an $8 million dead cap hit.
The #Dolphins could have saved $19M in cap space this year and have had a more productive free agency if they restructured Tua Tagovailoa’s contract.
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) March 20, 2025
So why didn’t they?
By keeping his contract as is, they’ve set themselves up to release him after the 2026 season with only an… pic.twitter.com/gAMaJhr0e7
A restructure means the dead cap hit would increase.
Tua Tagovailoa Needs A Full Healthy Season In 2025 And 2026
Through five years in the NFL, Tua Tagovailoa has only played one season where he was in all seventeen or sixteen games.
In the 2024 NFL season, Tua played in 11 games, completing 291 of 399 passes for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
He had one stint on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion in Week 2.
Many feel like another concussion could possibly end his career or force the team to keep him off the field for his own safety.
Going forward, the next two seasons are crucial for him.
He must stay healthy.
