Tagovailoa has $54 million in fully guaranteed compensation in 2026. That breaks down as a $39 million salary and a $15 million option bonus that needs to be exercised between the first and third days of the 2026 league year in March. Additionally, on the third day of the 2026 league year, $3 million of his $31 million 2027 salary becomes fully guaranteed. So if he's on Miami's roster as of 4 p.m. ET on March 13, the Dolphins will be on the hook for $57 million guaranteed.
If they were to release him prior to that date, they'd still have to pay him the $54 million in 2026 cash and would absorb $99.2 million in dead salary cap charges. (They could spread that out over two years if they designated him a post-June 1 release, but they'd still take $67.4 million in dead money charges on their 2026 cap and the remaining $31.8 million in 2027.) If they were to find a way to trade Tagovailoa before March 13, the acquiring team would become responsible for the $54 million in 2026 salary and bonuses, and the Dolphins' dead-money charge would drop to $45.2 million. If they traded him after March 13, presumably they'd be on the hook for the $15 million option bonus, while the new team would take the $39 million salary; the Dolphins' dead-money charge would be $60.2 million.
