One thing hasn’t changed amid the Miami Dolphins’ recent flurry of big money contract extensions
You’ve heard plenty about the Miami Dolphins’ salary cap situation. Here’s the one thing that hasn’t changed amid some recent spending.
The Miami Dolphins deserve a lot of credit. Despite the team’s unenviable salary cap situation, the team has made strong progress with the nucleus of the roster.
Yes, Miami has bid farewell to a number of prominent, successful players. And that’s come with some salary cap restrictions (to put it lightly). But the Dolphins also opened up the checkbook this summer for running back De’Von Achane and center Aaron Brewer — locking both in on fair market contract extensions. That spending has changed the future outlook of this team for the better. But there’s one thing it hasn’t changed.
The one thing that the Miami Dolphins’ recent contract extensions hasn’t changed for the 2026 season
The Miami Dolphins have committed over $100 million dollars in commitments to Brewer and Achane this summer. But neither deal offered a significant 2026 cash increase. Achane’s signing bonus was for just over $4 million. Brewer’s was for $6 million. And even if both signing bonuses and cash raises for this season were significant, the Miami Dolphins would still be dead last in the NFL in cash spending.
By a country mile.
Per OverTheCap.com, Miami’s active payroll spending after the Brewer deal sits at $215 million for the 2026 season. That ranks 32nd in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons rank 31st with an active payroll spending of $270.8 million — a cool $55 million in front of the Dolphins. Even adding Tua Tagovailoa’s $54 million “severance package” would still rank Miami behind the NFL’s 31st team in cash spending for 2026.
Miami still has one potential contract extension to go with linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Their current standing with the cash budget should underscore one thing. There’s nothing stopping the Miami Dolphins from getting this done. The future spending isn’t restrictive, either. Miami ranks dead last in 2027 cash spending by $25 million after the Achane and Brewer deals, too.
The lingering work to be done can’t be assumed to cross the finish line. But the money can’t be used as an excuse for it to not happen. And if (when) it does, one more high dollar contract still won’t change one fact: the Miami Dolphins are going to be dead last in the league in cash spending on the active roster in 2026.
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