The Dolphins 2025 Salary Cap situation as of now

[Downunder Dolphan]

The Dolphins rank 30th in NFL salary cap space, according to Spotrac. One might argue that -$16.9 million isn't really "space" at all. It's more like a really bad credit card debt.

https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-dolphins-salary-cap-much-170323807.html

Highest-paid Miami Dolphins in 2025:

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa $39.4 million
Edge rusher Bradley Chubb $29.3 million
Receiver Tyreek Hill $28.7 million
Left tackle Terron Armstead $22.4 million
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey $16.6 million
Right tackle Austin Jackson $14 million
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips $13.3 million
Defensive lineman Zach Sieler $12.4 million

The highest Miami Dolphins dead cap salary cap hits of 2025: (The Dolphins are eighth in the NFL with $21.6 million in dead cap space)

Cornerback Xavien Howard $15.7 million
Defensive end Shaq Barrett $4.4 million
Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. $895,000

Within the article it mentions that without drastic restructures for our highest paid players, parting ways with both Chubb and Armstead is our only realistic chance to make any cap space.

Since the article was published, it looks like there's been a little space freed up by the departures of Thompson, Needham, etc, but we're still $-14.1 million (29th).

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/cap/_/year/2025

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Between this and the numbers of FA leaving Dolphins are not going to be able to match this year.  Forget improving.

[CF DolFan]

Forget improving.

We did that last year so its very possible we continue that trend.

[Dave Gray]

We chose to pay Tua so everything kind of lives and dies by that decision.  He has to play, and play well, to make up for the other holes.  We will be a slow trickle of lost talent that we're going to have to make up with smart money.

[Dave Gray]

I don't fully understand how the cap works, but how can we afford to keep a guy like Armstead?  He is hurt all the time and the line sucks anyway.  At least suck for cheap.

[Spider-Dan]

We chose to pay Tua so everything kind of lives and dies by that decision.  He has to play, and play well, to make up for the other holes.  We will be a slow trickle of lost talent that we're going to have to make up with smart money.

I find this kind of take pretty weird.  Do you - a Dolphins fan - think the same thing about BAL, PHI, LAC, CIN, DET, GB, JAX, and DAL?  Because they're all paying their QBs big bucks, too.

If you don't have a starting QB on a rookie contract, you're either paying some reclamation project on a short-term contract (e.g. Baker, Carr, Russ) or you signed your franchise QB to a monster deal.  The teams who are paying their franchise QBs significantly less than Tua signed those deals several years before Tua got paid.

Big QB contracts are not a competitive disadvantage if your competitors are also paying them.

[CF DolFan]

I find this kind of take pretty weird.  Do you - a Dolphins fan - think the same thing about BAL, PHI, LAC, CIN, DET, GB, JAX, and DAL?  Because they're all paying their QBs big bucks, too.

If you don't have a starting QB on a rookie contract, you're either paying some reclamation project on a short-term contract (e.g. Baker, Carr, Russ) or you signed your franchise QB to a monster deal.  The teams who are paying their franchise QBs significantly less than Tua signed those deals several years before Tua got paid.

Big QB contracts are not a competitive disadvantage if your competitors are also paying them.

Yes. When you pay people big money they have to be game changers to offset the low income people. That was exactly our problem. Our big money guys didn't do much for us ... especially when we needed them to step up.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I find this kind of take pretty weird.  Do you - a Dolphins fan - think the same thing about BAL, PHI, LAC, CIN, DET, GB, JAX, and DAL?  Because they're all paying their QBs big bucks, too.

If you don't have a starting QB on a rookie contract, you're either paying some reclamation project on a short-term contract (e.g. Baker, Carr, Russ) or you signed your franchise QB to a monster deal.  The teams who are paying their franchise QBs significantly less than Tua signed those deals several years before Tua got paid.

Big QB contracts are not a competitive disadvantage if your competitors are also paying them.

Tua is a decent QB.  But he isn't a game changer.  Also he has had only one season out of 5 has he played more than 75% of the season.  The Dolphin's should be paying Tua less than other teams pay QBs that aren't taking unnecessary injury risks. 

The argument in favor of the extending him last season was "if we wait it will be even more expensive next season"  the argument against was "let's see if he can play the full season"  I am pretty sure if the Dolphin's had chosen to wait they could have gotten him for less this off season. 

[CF DolFan]

^^^ I agree. I think what happened with Wilkens probably freaked them out a bit. Tua's play would have actually warranted him less unlike Wilkens. 

[Dave Gray]

I find this kind of take pretty weird.  Do you - a Dolphins fan - think the same thing about BAL, PHI, LAC, CIN, DET, GB, JAX, and DAL?  Because they're all paying their QBs big bucks, too.

Yes, pretty much.

It doesn't mean that it's over, but you kinda gotta find a way to win with what you have.  There are diamonds in the rough and exceptions, but for all of these teams, for the most part -- if you have top paid QB and they don't play in the games, you're cooked.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^ I agree. I think what happened with Wilkens probably freaked them out a bit. Tua's play would have actually warranted him less unlike Wilkens. 

Dolphins were worried Tua would leave for a monster deal and then get a season ending injury?

[CF DolFan]

^^^ I think they were or else there was no need to make the deal early. I don't think there are many, if any, teams that would pay him what we are paying. It kind of looks like the Dolphins panicked when in fact they were only competing against themselves.

[Spider-Dan]

Let's suppose that MIA refuses to pay Tua the $53M/yr they gave him, and instead he signs with some other team (e.g. LV) for the $45M/yr Kirk Cousins got.
Are the Dolphins better off because some other team paid him less?

The team had the worst offense in the league without Tua under center.  Which QB do you pick up that changes that... Sam Darnold?  Jameis Winston?

[Dave Gray]

Let's suppose that MIA refuses to pay Tua the $53M/yr they gave him, and instead he signs with some other team (e.g. LV) for the $45M/yr Kirk Cousins got.
Are the Dolphins better off because some other team paid him less?

The team had the worst offense in the league without Tua under center.  Which QB do you pick up that changes that... Sam Darnold?  Jameis Winston?

I think we're asking and answering two things.

I am not even debating whether or not we should've paid Tua.  I'm past it.  You can make arguments that we shouldn't (or that we should), but we have, in fact, paid him and kept him, so here we are.

And now that we're here, in order to be successful, the only way to get there short of a miracle is for Tua to stay healthy and play well enough to compensate for the talent losses that will come over time.  That's pretty standard.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Let's suppose that MIA refuses to pay Tua the $53M/yr they gave him, and instead he signs with some other team (e.g. LV) for the $45M/yr Kirk Cousins got.
Are the Dolphins better off because some other team paid him less?

The team had the worst offense in the league without Tua under center.  Which QB do you pick up that changes that... Sam Darnold?  Jameis Winston?

As long as Tua is the starting QB the dolphins are only as good as the backup.  Tua is fun to watch, but he doesn't play it smart