After a chaotic start to July, the Miami Dolphins find themselves pretty tight on salary cap space. Miami has shown some interest in signing an extra player or two this summer, but after executing the signing of second-round rookie Jonah Savaiinaea and trading for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and tight end Darren Waller, the Dolphins are sitting among the last few teams in the NFL in salary cap space. 

Their current cap figure, which is south of $2 million, is not even enough to cover the expenses of the practice squad this season. Accordingly, the Dolphins are going to need to make some moves with the cap to have the wiggle room they need for a few key signings and have an operating budget to make it through the 2025 season. 

Here’s their top options. 

Ten pathways for more salary cap space for the Miami Dolphins this summer

SAF Minkah Fitzpatrick – Contract restructure or extension

A lot of what ails the Dolphins right now stems from bringing new players in and making bigger commitments to them than those who have been playing on the roster for years. In that sense, giving new years to Fitzpatrick is probably not the best idea.

Miami could offer a basic restructure of Minkah Fitzpatrick, splitting his compensation between the cap this year and next year, and save $7.12 million dollars in cap space. The team could also, in theory, add void years to Fitzpatrick’s contract or provide him with a contract extension and save nearly $11.4 million in space, although they’d have to shoulder that commitment in future years and risk Fitzpatrick being a short-term answer in the process if choosing not to give him new years and future guarantees. 

Maximum savings: $11.4 million in 2025 cap space

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DT Zach Sieler – Contract extension

Sieler and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have been working for a contract extension from the Dolphins all offseason. Sieler has a $7.32 million base salary and a $12.447 million cap charge in 2025. Miami could, in theory, agree to a contract extension with Sieler that pays him significantly more money than the $7.32 base salary that he’s scheduled for as a signing bonus. A signing bonus could be spread across up to five seasons of cap charges, which could yield savings of several million dollars for Miami if he were to receive the lump sum of his payment for the year up front. 

Maximum savings: Several million in 2025 cap space (It depends on the signing bonus)

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QB Tua Tagovailoa – Contract restructure

The ‘Tagovailoa Bank’ has gone untapped this offseason. Whether or not it is advisable or not is a different story — as Tagovailoa’s injury history could prompt the team to seek a pivot in the future if the issues continue. Deferring cap charges into the future could, in theory, make Tagovailoa harder to move on from — although his 2026 salary is already fully guaranteed so he figures to be in the picture for at least the next two seasons no matter how things unfold. 

Tagovailoa has a $25 million base salary in addition to a $25 million option bonus that was already paid out this offseason. That base salary could be restructured and spread into future years to save the Dolphins $19.3 million in 2025 salary cap space. It’s the most direct path to Miami’s need for operating cap space throughout the season, but it will make exit avenues on Tagovailoa’s contract down the line more complicated if they’re needed. 

Maximum savings: $19.3 million in 2025 cap space

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IOL Aaron Brewer – Contract restructure

Brewer signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins in 2024 and was very good in Miami during his debut season. Brewer currently carries an $8.118 million cap charge, with $6.465 million of that as base salary that can be manipulated. Brewer is under contract through 2026 and has two void years attached to the end of his contract, meaning the Dolphins could do a basic restructure of the majority of his $6.465 million base salary and divide it across the next four seasons of cap books. 

Maximum savings: $3.99 million in 2025 cap space

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LB Jordyn Brooks – Contract restructure

Brooks, like Brewer signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins in 2024. He was, also like Brewer, very good for the Dolphins last season. Brooks currently carries an $11.05 million cap charge, with $7.815 million of that as base salary that can be manipulated. Brooks is under contract through 2026 and has two void years attached to the end of his contract, meaning the Dolphins could do a basic restructure of the majority of his $7.815 million base salary and divide it across the next four seasons of cap books.

Maximum savings: $5.771 million in 2025 cap space

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FB Alec Ingold – Contract restructure

Ingold is under contract through the end of the 2026 season and has two void years on the back end of his contract for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, meaning Miami can split the majority of his $3.35 million base salary across for years of the salary cap without adding any new language to the deal. 

Maximum savings: $1.635 million in 2025 cap space

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K Jason Sanders – Contract restructure

Sanders is under contract through the end of the 2026 season but has one void year already attached to the back end of his contract for the 2027 season, meaning the Dolphins could spread the majority of his $4 million salary, if restructured, across three seasons instead of two. 

Maximum savings: $1.83 million in 2025 cap space

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P Jake Bailey – Roster cut

The Dolphins could waive Jake Bailey at any point after signing another punter, former All-Pro Ryan Stonehouse, this offseason. Bailey is on the books for in excess of $2.5 million in cap space and can save just short of $2 million ($1.975 million) of it by moving on from Bailey. Stonehouse winning the punter job helps Miami in more ways than one. 

Maximum savings: $1.975 million in 2025 cap space

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LB Channing Tindall – Roster cut

Tindall is a former third-round draft choice by Miami from the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s buried on the Dolphins’ linebacker depth chart and will almost certainly be the fifth linebacker as best. As such, Miami could cut him and save $1.39 million in cap space, although a replacement player for the offseason roster will likely absorb a majority of those savings. 

A new 51st ranked player for the top-51 cap will likely be a $1 million cap figure, meaning the Dolphins will only save about $400,000 in cap space with this move after the dust settles. 

Maximum savings: $1.39 million in 2025 cap space

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WR Tyreek Hill(?!) – The possibilities are endless

The Dolphins seem committed to making things work with Tyreek Hill in 2025. With that in mind, he does have one of the higher base salaries on the team and is also under contract through the end of 2026. The Dolphins could, in theory, restructure him. They could, in theory, trade him if the season is off to a bad start. The latter move doesn’t help this team get cap space to add a piece or two for training camp but cannot be ignored with how last season ended. 

If the Dolphins were feeling risky, they could execute a basic restructure of Hill’s salary and open $7.076 million in 2025 salary cap space. The best idea? Probably not. But it’s available to be had.

Maximum savings: $7.076 million in 2025 cap space (Basic restructure)