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The Miami Dolphins are moving on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan announced Monday that the team will release Tagovailoa when NFL free agency begins. Miami selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft, but injuries and inconsistent play seemed to guide the team’s decision.
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Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after a failed two-point conversion attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 15, 2025. (Photo: Justin Berl/AP)
“I recently informed Tua and his representation that we will be moving in a new direction at the quarterback position and will release him after the start of the new league year,” Sullivan said in a statement.
“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami.
“Moving forward, we will be focused on creating competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work to build a consistent winner.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa takes questions during an NFL football news conference, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at the Dolphins practice facility in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
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Tagovailoa will be a post-June 1 designation and the Dolphins will receive $99 million in dead cap space spread over the next two seasons, ESPN reported.
He played six seasons with the Dolphins. He threw for 18,166 yards and 120 touchdowns in those six years. Miami awarded Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension before the start of the 2024 season.
But injuries in 2024 and 2025 kept him off the field for most of those seasons. He only played at least 16 games in a season once in his career.
Tagovailoa had just one playoff appearance. That came in 2023, when Miami was 11-6.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks out of the players’ tunnel before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 4, 2026. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
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Now the team enters the 2026 season with a new general manager, a new head coach (Jeff Hafley) and will have a new quarterback.
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