How Much Money Do the Dolphins Owe Tua Tagovailoa if He Retires?

After suffering his third concussion in as many seasons in Thursday’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, many have wondered what’s next for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Given the significant amount of head trauma he suffered two seasons ago and the brutality of what happened to him against the Bills, the number of people calling for Tagovailoa to retire is growing, and for the sake of his health post-football, it might honestly be in his best interest.

Another looming question if the 26-year-old QB does call it a career is how much money is he owed from the four-year, $212.4 million contract extension he just signed this offseason, and how much money are the Dolphins on the hook for?

According to Spotrac , Tagovailoa’s deal has $167M in injury guarantees, with $43M of that already paid for in 2024.

If Tagovailoa is medically forced to retire, he can claim all of the remaining $124M in guaranteed money. But if he chooses to retire after being medically cleared to play, he would forfeit the remaining $124M in guaranteed money but could recoup some through an injury settlement.

Spotrac also pointed out if Tagovailoa passes a physical next March when the new league year begins, the Dolphins can release him but will be on the hook for $50M of his salary in 2025. Tagovailoa’s $54M 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 14, so it’s presumed the Dolphins would want to make a decision before then.

A pre-June 1 cut would cost Miami $122.6M in dead cap space, and a post-June 1 cut would result in $83.6M in dead cap. Both can be spread out over the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Related: Robert Griffin III Says What Everyone is Thinking About Tua Tagovailoa Injury