The 2025 season is going to be critical for many members of the Miami Dolphins but it might be the most critical for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
There is no sugarcoating the 2024 season. It was abysmal. The fact that the Dolphins were able to climb back into the playoff race and nearly make it as the No. 7 seed only masks the incredibly disappointing outcome. Last year’s team shouldn’t be heralded as a comeback that fell short. It was just bad.
All of the problems last season can’t be blamed on Tagovailoa missing games. There were bigger problems, but when he was on the field, there were also problems with the Dolphins’ offense that could be attributed to him. Now, with the first year of his contract extension about to begin, Tagovailoa could be playing his final season with Miami.
Before we dive into the contract details, we need to examine the futures of Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel.
Both should be on the hot seat. If Miami repeats what happened last year, McDaniel could be fired by the middle of the season and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver could potentially be named the team’s interim head coach.
McDaniel is on thin ice no matter what Miami owner Stephen Ross wants to believe, but so is Grier. Speculation prior to the end of the season was Grier may step back and take on a different role with the team. That sounds a lot like a Mike Tannenbaum situation.
For change to work in Miami, the next general manager has to have autonomy to do his job, and the next head coach has to be picked by that general manager. If, and as Dolphins fans, we all know that is a massive “if.” the biggest question is, what happens with Tagovailoa?
Releasing Tua Tagovailoa after the 2025 season would save the Miami Dolphins almost $50 million in cap space
The Dolphins are in a prime situation heading into 2026. It is why so many in the media and podcasters alike continue to harp on the open window for Miami’s success in the 2025 season.
In 2026, the Dolphins could cut Tyreek Hill and save $36 million while eating $15 million. They could cut Bradley Chubb after June 1st and save $20 million against a $9 million hit. The real money, however, comes with the flip of Tagovailoa’s contract.
As a post-June 1st release, Tagovailoa would carry $8.4 million in dead cap hit and save the Dolphins $48 million. If there is anyone thinking the Dolphins are tied to Tagovailoa for the life of his contract, that is not the case. Miami has the out they need if he can’t lead the team or can’t stay healthy next season.
Tagovailoa is not the future of the Dolphins. He is Miami’s 2025 quarterback, and his future will be determined by how well he plays and how well the team plays. Ideally, Tagovailoa will take a big step in 2025 and prove more doubters wrong, but that seems to be the common theme year after year.
