The Miami Dolphins are walking into 2026 with a dead-cap bill that dwarfs anything the NFL has ever seen.
According to Spotrac, Miami is on track for $182.8 million in dead cap in the first season under head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Before this, the only teams to top the $100 million mark in a single season were the New Orleans Saints at $109 million, the New York Jets at $108 million and the San Francisco 49ers at $103 million, all in 2025.
That kind of number doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of a front office choosing to reset hard, and that’s exactly what Miami did this offseason. The Dolphins inherited a roster with aging players and others on deals that weren’t paying off, so instead of letting a middling season drag on, the new regime cut ties with several major names.
The biggest chunk is tied to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who counts for $55.4 million against the cap even though he won’t be on the team in 2026. Tyreek Hill follows at $28.25 million, with Jaylen Waddle at $23.23 million and Jalen Ramsey at $20.87 million. Minkah Fitzpatrick adds $13 million, Bradley Chubb $10.97 million and Terron Armstead $10.73 million.
The rest of the ledger keeps stacking up from there: James Daniels at $4.8 million, Zach Wilson at $3.8 million, Alec Ingold at $2 million, Tyrel Dodson at $1.94 million, Jonnu Smith at $1.65 million, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine at $1.6 million and Matthew Judon at $1.3 million. Another 40 players, each under $1 million, account for $3.17 million more.
Miami is taking the pain now in hopes of getting out from under it sooner. The Dolphins are projected to have more than $104 million in cap space next year, even with $56.86 million still tied up in dead cap. That figure is expected to climb, but the team should be in a much better spot to build going forward, especially if it lands a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft as well.
In Other News...
Dolphins Fans Should Already Watch These 2 Future Draft Names
The early 2026 college football season is already giving Dolphins fans a few names to tuck away for later, and Ohio State is once again in the middle of that conversation. Jeremiah Smith keeps looking like the kind of receiver who can bend a defense around him, and Julian Sayin is showing the kind of command that keeps a quarterback on the radar for NFL evaluators. Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Oregons Dante Moore are also part of the wider picture, but the Buckeyes duo has been especially loud out of the gate.
Against Ball State, Smith turned eight catches into 151 yards and two touchdowns, while Sayin added three touchdown throws and even ran for another score. It is very early, of course, and no one is handing out draft cards in September, but this is the sort of weekly performance tracking that matters for a team like Miami, which is always looking ahead while it handles the present. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Have A Week 1 Answer They Didn't Expect
Chris Bells path to Miami looked like a long shot not too long ago, but the rookie wide receiver has pushed himself into the conversation heading into Week 1 against the Raiders. After recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, Bell got on the field in the preseason finale and showed the kind of versatility the Dolphins covet, lining up at multiple receiver spots and giving the staff something real to evaluate beyond camp buzz.
For an offense that can always use another option to stretch the field, Bells speed and hands have clearly caught the attention of the coaching staff. Miamis offensive coordinator has already spoken highly of him, and the bigger question now is how much of that trust translates into Sundays game plan. The Dolphins may have gone into the summer expecting the rookie to be a developmental piece, but he suddenly looks like a player who could matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Chop Robinson Gets An Early Chance To Silence A Dolphins Concern
Chop Robinson heads into this season with a different kind of pressure on him than he had a year ago. The Dolphins defensive end flashed as a rookie, then slipped into a quieter sophomore season, and now hes entering a new scheme under defensive head coach Jeff Hafley with a chance to show that the first version of him was the real one. Miami has reasons to believe Robinsons physical gifts can still change a game, especially when the season starts against a Raiders offensive front that will be trying to settle in.
Week 1 also gives Robinson a pretty direct test: Las Vegas right tackle DJ Glaze, who had his own growing pains last season, is the likely first blocker standing in his way. It is the kind of matchup that can swing early narrative in a hurry, especially for a player whose production dipped and whose team would love a fast answer to one of its lingering concerns. If Robinson looks like the edge threat Miami expected, it could say plenty about both the player and the Dolphins defense under Hafley. [Read more 🡒]