As the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals look for a reset with new head coaches, both franchises face tough decisions regarding their starting quarterbacks.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that both teams are exploring trade possibilities involving Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray but a move is not simple because of their respective contracts.
The Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.1 million extension in July 2024, but his performance has not lived up to expectations. Tagovailoa, 27, was benched with three games remaining in the 2025 season, which started the speculation that the team was planning to go in another direction at quarterback.
Tagovailoa threw a career-high 15 interceptions and did not throw 200 passing yards in eight of the 14 games he played. After the season, Tagovailoa acknowledged he would be open to a fresh start elsewhere.
With a new general manager in Miami, Jon-Eric Sullivan did not provide a full commitment to him as the Dolphins’ quarterback, saying the position remains under evaluation.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, their options are limited. As Schefter explains, Tagovailoa is owed $54 million guaranteed in 2026, with another $3 million of his 2027 salary becoming guaranteed on March 15.
If the team wanted to release him, they would be stuck with a $99 million dead cap hit, the largest in NFL history. They could designate him as a post-June 1 designation but that would just spread the charge over two seasons.
To help facilitate a trade, Schefter said Miami is expected to be willing to pay down a portion of Tagovailoa’s contract, but the guarantees on the contract could be tough for the acquiring team.
The Cardinals are in a similar situation with Murray. The 28-year-old quarterback is guaranteed $36.8 million in 2026. An additional $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary becomes guaranteed on March 15 if he remains on the roster.
Releasing Murray before June 1 would saddle the Cardinals with a $54.7 million dead cap hit, while a post-June 1 designation would spread the damage across two years. A trade, however, could offer a far more appealing option for Arizona with $34.7 million in cap savings, with $17.9 million in dead money remaining on their books.
Murray’s 2025 season was limited to just five games due to a foot injury. He threw for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions as the Cardinals stumbled to another losing campaign. Since being selected first overall in the 2019 draft, Murray has led Arizona to the playoffs only once.
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said Tuesday that he has spoken with Murray recently but did not address the quarterback’s long-term future with the team.
With multiple teams expected to be active in the quarterback market, the Dolphins and Cardinals will need to decide if the financial implications of moving on from Tagovailoa and Murray will be worth it going forward.
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