The Dolphins set an unlucky record this offseason following the discharge of Tua Tagovailoa. The move left the franchise with a $55.4MM dead cap hit, which exceeded the previous record held by the Broncos and Russell Wilson ($53MM).
After all, as Miami is undergoing a whole teardown, they’re not overly concerned in regards to the wasted cap space in 2026. For competitive squads, a hefty dead cap charge could drastically limit their ability so as to add to their roster following final roster cuts and into the regular season. A team’s current dead cap commitment could also influence their 53-man roster decisions, as teams at all times pursue some extra respiration room.
Which teams have essentially the most dead cap on their books? We’ve listed them so as below (h/t to Spotrac):
- Dolphins: $179.2MM
- Browns $116.8MM
- Saints $112.1MM
- Jets $111.4MM
- Eagles $74.4MM
- Cardinals $73.3MM
- Texans $66.5MM
- Raiders $55.8MM
- Jaguars $54.7MM
- Bills $46.2MM
- Packers $45.5MM
- Vikings $45.3MM
- Falcons $44.1MM
- Cowboys $42.4MM
- Patriots $38.4MM
- 49ers $36.2MM
- Lions $33.1MM
- Titans $28.1MM
- Giants $26.5MM
- Panthers $22.1MM
- Commanders $20.7MM
- Bears $20.1MM
- Ravens $18.2MM
- Colts $15.7MM
- Buccaneers $13.3MM
- Steelers $12.2MM
- Rams $10.7MM
- Bengals $10.4MM
- Chiefs $9.7MM
- Chargers $5.5MM
- Broncos $3.5MM
- Seahawks $516K
As mentioned, it’s not a surprise to see the Dolphins atop this list. While Tagovailoa’s release easily leads the team, the Dolphins also took significant hits following the 2025 and 2026 departures of Tyreek Hill ($28.25MM), Jaylen Waddle ($23.23MM), Jalen Ramsey ($20.87MM), and Minkah Fitzpatrick ($12.99MM). The team’s dead cap charges account for near 60% of their cap.
Elsewhere atop the list, the Browns were impacted by Joel Bitonio‘s retirement and void years ($23.5MM) plus the Myles Garrett trade ($21.3MM). The Saints are still navigating Derek Carr‘s $36.6MM in dead cap, while the Jets have $55MM in dead cap committed to former QBs (Aaron Rodgers ($35MM) and Justin Fields ($20MM)).
The defending Super Bowl champs are at the underside of the list, because the Seahawks only need to account for $516K from Sataoa Laumea and Damien Martinez. The Broncos, who’re finally seeing relief from Wilson’s former cap charge, have the second-smallest dead cap hit within the NFL, mostly taken up by Dre Greenlaw ($2.1MM).
Interestingly, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold recently explored how Wilson’s departure out of Denver can have created a trend across the NFL. The Broncos proved you’ll be able to navigate a bulky dead cap charge, although that was clearly offset by the team’s commitment to a QB on a rookie contract, Bo Nix.
“It’s at all times the quarterback,” an executive told Legwold of the dead-cap approach. “Any team, [the Broncos] included, you’re going to wish adequate play at quarterback and an excellent enough team across the guy when you’re going to go to the playoffs like they did instantly, especially if the move you made was [moving on from] the previous quarterback. And a rookie deal at quarterback on a playoff-worthy team, that never hurts.”