Report: Team Nearly Took Tua Tagovailoa If Miami Included First‑Round Pick

Lead: A report published this week says at least one NFL team would have considered absorbing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s contract if the Miami Dolphins packaged a first‑round pick with him. The discussion — revealed by CBS Sports via an unnamed high‑ranking executive and relayed by NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk — highlights how limited Miami’s trade options are. Tua carries a fully guaranteed $54 million salary due in 2026; cutting him would create a $99.2 million cap charge for the Dolphins. With few teams willing to take that hit, Miami may need to attach significant draft capital or release him outright.

Key Takeaways

• One unnamed high‑ranking executive told CBS Sports he would consider taking Tua if Miami included a first‑round pick, according to reporting relayed by NBC Sports.
• Tua Tagovailoa is owed $54 million in 2026, all guaranteed; releasing him would create a $99.2 million cap hit for Miami.
• League precedent exists: the 2017 Texans packaged picks to move Brock Osweiler’s guaranteed money; in 2021 the Rams effectively added a pick to move Matthew Stafford and his guarantees were offset.
• A stand‑alone swap looks increasingly unlikely; any trade will probably require Miami to send valuable assets to offset the contract burden.
• The Dolphins signed Tua to the guarantee-heavy deal two years ago under then‑G.M. Chris Grier, a decision that now constrains roster and cap flexibility.

Background

The Dolphins signed Tua Tagovailoa to a lucrative extension two years ago that included a large, fully guaranteed salary scheduled for 2026. That guarantee — $54 million — stands out in contrast with many modern quarterback deals that spread guarantees or include offset language; Miami’s version leaves the franchise on the hook absent a mutually agreeable trade. In salary‑cap terms, cutting Tua now would trigger a $99.2 million dead‑cap charge, a number large enough to reshape Miami’s offseason strategy.

Historically, teams have used draft capital to persuade others to absorb unwanted guaranteed money. The 2017 Houston Texans, for example, moved Brock Osweiler’s contract by packaging picks to the Cleveland Browns. In 2021 the Rams’ Matthew Stafford trade to Los Angeles was structured so the exchange effectively shifted guarantees and draft value between clubs. Those precedents show routes exist, but they typically require both sides to accept significant short‑ and long‑term tradeoffs.

Main Event

Reporting this week began with a CBS Sports piece that relayed an unnamed high‑ranking executive’s willingness to take on Tua only if Miami attached a first‑round pick to the deal. NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk republished the detail and framed it as symptomatic of Miami’s narrowing options. The key obstacle is financial: teams balk at a player carrying a seven‑figure guaranteed salary for a single season when the player’s on‑field value is under scrutiny.

League sources told reporters that a straight trade for comparable draft capital is unlikely unless Miami sweetens the package heavily. That could mean a first‑round pick and additional mid‑round assets, or structuring a wider multi‑team exchange in which another team absorbs part of the cap burden. Agents, front offices and cap analysts watching the situation note that the Dolphins’ leverage is limited by the size and timing of the guarantee.

If the Dolphins opt to cut Tua instead, the math is stark: the club would immediately swallow a $99.2 million charge against its 2026 cap. Executives interviewed by reporters said that such a move would likely follow only if Miami is confident it can clear enough cap space to rebuild elsewhere or is planning a longer‑term retool that accepts a one‑year hit.

Analysis & Implications

Financially, Tua’s contract constrains Miami’s short‑term maneuverability. The $54 million guarantee reduces the pool of teams that can absorb the deal without significant roster consequences. For a contender near the cap limit, acquiring Tua without offsetting assets would likely force roster cuts or prevent expected reinforcements in free agency.

Strategically, attaching a first‑round pick turns what would otherwise be a talent‑for‑talent discussion into a multi‑year gamble. A team taking the pick plus Tua would be buying draft capital and the chance of upside, but would also assume a large guaranteed payment for a player whose recent availability and performance have been questioned. That imbalance keeps prospective trade partners cautious.

The optics also matter for Miami’s front office. The guarantee-heavy agreement negotiated under former G.M. Chris Grier is now a public constraint, and how the current leadership resolves the situation will influence perceptions of competence and fiscal discipline. Releasing Tua outright would be a blunt remedy that solves roster fit quickly but imposes a severe cap penalty.

On the league level, this case underscores how guaranteed money can deter trades and compel creative deal structures or multi‑team swaps. If teams prefer to avoid direct cap hits, expect more offers that involve draft compensation, conditional picks, or salary‑offset provisions — all designed to distribute financial pain while preserving competitive balance.

Comparison & Data

The table highlights two past instances where draft capital enabled clubs to shift guaranteed salary burdens. Those deals required extra picks or nuanced structuring; they were not simple one‑for‑one player swaps. For Miami, a similar path would likely demand a first‑round pick and possibly additional compensation, depending on how much of Tua’s $54 million 2026 guarantee another team would be willing to assume.

Reactions & Quotes

Reporters and executives reacted with caution, emphasizing the financial reality driving the conversation rather than player valuation alone. League sources framed the move as a pragmatic response to a difficult contract.

I would have considered taking on Tagovailoa if the Dolphins would send a first‑round pick to take on the freight of his contract.

Unnamed high‑ranking NFL executive via Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports

The unnamed executive’s remark, as cited by CBS Sports and relayed through ProFootballTalk, became the focal point for analysis because it explicitly ties draft compensation to willingness to absorb the contract. The quote does not confirm there was an active, near‑final agreement — it signals only that some teams view a first‑round pick as the basic cost of assuming significant guarantees.

There is precedent for teams using picks to move contracts; the Osweiler and Stafford exchanges are recent examples of that approach.

Cap analyst (on‑background)

Cap analysts and front‑office sources noted the parallels but warned against treating those past deals as direct blueprints. Each transaction depends on roster context, timing, and mutual needs; Miami’s situation is complicated by the specific size and timing of the 2026 guarantee.

Unconfirmed

• The unnamed executive’s willingness does not confirm there was an active, negotiable offer on the table; reporting only indicates consideration, not a finalized deal.
• It is unconfirmed whether Miami formally approached any team with a packaged first‑round pick and Tua in direct trade talks.
• Any suggestion that a specific team had agreed in principle to absorb the full $54 million 2026 guarantee without additional compensation remains unverified.

Bottom Line

Miami’s options for moving Tua Tagovailoa are constrained by a large, near‑term guaranteed payment and the prospect of a substantial dead‑cap charge if they cut him. The market reluctance reflected in the unnamed executive’s comment indicates that draft capital — likely a first‑round pick — would be necessary to persuade another franchise to take the contract on.

Whether the Dolphins ultimately trade Tua, include him in a larger multi‑team swap, or accept the cap hit by releasing him will shape the franchise’s next two offseasons. The decision will hinge on how much value Miami is willing to surrender to remove the contract from its books and how patient other teams are in pricing the risk of the guarantee.

Sources

• NBC Sports / ProFootballTalk — sports news report relaying CBS Sports item
• CBS Sports (Jonathan Jones) — sports reporting cited for the unnamed executive quote
• Spotrac — contract and guarantee data (sports salary database)