How much guaranteed money will the Dolphins owe Tua Tagovailoa if he retires?

When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signed his four-year, $212.4 million contract extension, the deal was reported to have $167.1 million in guaranteed money.

Guaranteed money in NFL player contracts is far from a sure thing, however.

The reported guarantee often represents the total amount of money that could potentially be guaranteed, while fully guaranteed money represents money that is truly guaranteed in the traditional sense of the word. Contracts guarantee money either at certain dates or based on three designations, per The 33rd Team: skill, salary cap, and injury.

After Tagovailoa tragically suffered another concussion in the Thursday night loss against the Buffalo Bills, there have been concerns regarding his health and career. 

Following the injury, the Dolphins may have to begin considering the potential salary cap ramifications if Tagovailoa ultimately decides to retire.

Dolphins could face salary cap ramifications if Tagovailoa retires

Tagovailoa’s contract includes $167 million guaranteed for injury, according to Spotrac. The Dolphins have already paid $43 million in 2024.

If Tagovailoa is medically forced to retire, the remaining $124 million would become fully guaranteed. Things could get a bit more contentious if the embattled quarterback is medically cleared but opts to retire for health concerns. In that scenario, Miami would be able to void the remaining $124 million that’s guaranteed for injury. In that case, the two sides could reach a custom settlement to part ways. 

The risk of injury will clearly continue to linger for Tagovailoa, who has only played a full slate of regular games in one of his first four seasons.

If Tagovailoa returns from this concussion and clears a physical next March, the Dolphins would be able to release him while only being responsible for $50 million of his 2025 compensation, per Spotrac. 

If Tagovailoa is still on the roster for the start of the 2025 NFL league year on March 14, his $50 million salary in 2025 and $54 million salary in 2026 would both become fully guaranteed. 

At that point, Miami would be taking on a greater risk. If Tagovailoa is released after the June 1 designation, the Dolphins would face a dead salary cap charge of $83.6 million.

While Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Tagovailoa’s injury history wouldn’t play a role in determining his contract extension, it’s clear that both sides attempt to account for injury risks in the deal.