Here's a look at what makes this Dolphins team stand out for the wrong reasons:
Salary cap and spending
The salary cap is one of the more shocking elements of this Dolphins team. They have an NFL-record dead salary cap hit of $183 million this season, meaning they're paying that much for players not on their roster. The dead cap space is more than they are paying for players who actually made the 53-man roster ($104 million). You don't need an economics degree to know that's not the best business model.Over 60% of their 2026 salary cap is tied up in dead money, which is unheard of. According to Spotrac, dating to the beginning of this stat tracked in 2011, no team has ever gone over 45% of its roster in dead money. It's another example of the Dolphins breaking records no team wants to break.
The dead money comes from , Tyreek Hill, , , , and . Those releases and trades cost them. They are currently paying more for Tagovailoa, ($55 million this year and $99 million over the next two years), who plays for the , than they are for their entire offense ($52 million). Yes, you read that right, for their entire offense. But more on their roster below.
The $52 million is last in the
