MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins confirmed Monday morning that they will be releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the start of the new league year.

According to a statement from General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, Tagovailoa was notified that the team will be moving “in a new direction at the quarterback position.”

“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is,” Sullivan said in his statement. “On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons in Miami.”

The decision to release Tagovailoa carries a major financial hit, with the Dolphins set to take on a record $99 million in dead money that will be spread across the next two seasons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Sullivan said team management will now be focusing on “infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner.”

In a post on Instagram Monday, Tagovailoa thanked the organization and fans for six “unforgettable” years.

Tagovailoa ends his run with the Miami Dolphins (2020–2025) with a 44-32 record as a starter in 76 regular-season games. He went 0-1 in the playoffs after losing 26-7 in an AFC Wild Card playoff game on January 13, 2024, the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.

Over that stretch, he threw 120 touchdown passes and 59 interceptions.

He also led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 and topped the league in completion percentage in 2024, even while dealing with several injuries.

However, the 28-year-old quarterback threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 2025, the second-most in the NFL. Tagovailoa was benched by the Miami Dolphins in December in favor of seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers, who finished the season 1-2 with three touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The Dolphins have also released star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, EDGE Bradley Chubb, offensive guard James Daniels, and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhene.

Miami will now look to build through the NFL Draft and possibly free agency as they try to win their first playoff game since 2000 — the longest active postseason victory drought in the NFL.

Update

Monday afternoon, Tagovailoa signed a new, one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis in free agency, according to Schefter.

Willis’ deal is for three years, $67.5 million with $45 million guaranteed, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

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