Tua Tagovailoa haggled with the Miami Dolphins over contract negotiations last offseason until his demands were met. He reportedly rejected at least one offer from the club, missed some time at OTAs and staged a hold-in during training camp. Eventually, the two sides found common ground on a whopping four-year, $212.4 million extension.
Tagovailoa's massive franchise-record-setting deal kicks in next season, leaving the Dolphins with virtually no cap space as of this writing. However, fortunately for him, standout veteran left tackle Terron Armstead is taking one for the team by taking the biggest possible pay cut.
#Dolphins LT Terron Armstead plans to take his contract down to minimum, I’m told, from the $28.6M he was set to make.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2025
That allows the team to make all the necessary moves they want to make and allows Armstead, 33, to be on the team until he makes his decision on his future. pic.twitter.com/IrRf7yaj42
Dolphins star LT Terron Armstead takes pay cut to help the team that Tua Tagovailoa could never dream of
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Armstead "plans" to reduce the $28.6 million salary he was set to make in 2025 to the league minimum. The five-time Pro Bowler is doing so to give the Dolphins financial flexibility while mulling retirement.
Armstead has protected Tagovailoa on the field over the past three seasons, and now he's doing so off the gridiron. The veteran's minimum salary in 2025 for players like the former with at least seven years of experience is $1.255 million. While it doesn't fix all of Miami's financial problems, this gives the front office additional funds to retain in-house free agents.
Miami's star starting safety tandem of Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer is slated to hit the open market this spring. Armstead's fellow offensive linemen, center Liam Eichenberg and guard Isaiah Wynn, are set to join them. And that's only the beginning of the several tough decisions the Dolphins must make in the coming months.
Of course, Tagovailoa has every right to do what's best for himself and his family. We can't blame the star quarterback for squeezing as much money as possible from a $6-plus billion organization and recouping maximum value. Nonetheless, he put the Dolphins in a difficult position to fill out a competitive roster, which is accentuated by Armstead's incredible generosity.
Could Armstead's selflessness motivate Tagovailoa to give some money back too? Probably not, but Dolphins fans can hope, right?
Still operating at a high level in 2024 despite battling injuries, the Dolphins would gladly welcome Armstead back if he chooses to return. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the third-best tackle in football.