Making sense of the Miami Dolphins’ decision to waive RB Jarquez Hunter just days after trading for him

The Miami Dolphins traded WR Tutu Atwell to Los Angeles for RB Jarquez Hunter at the end of the week. They waived him on Sunday.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Aug 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter (27) reacts after scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run against the New Orleans Saints in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The epitome of ‘life comes at you fast’ just unfolded in South Florida. The Miami Dolphins released a player that they traded for just days ago.

It all went down when Miami managed to separate themselves from veteran WR Tutu Atwell via trade. Miami sent Atwell packing back to Los Angeles after signing him in March. And in return, the Dolphins received former fourth-round draft choice Jarquez Hunter. Hunter, a home-run hitting running back, appeared to maybe be in position to challenge Ollie Gordon II and/or Jaylen Wright in Miami’s backfield. Wrong! As the Dolphins cut to 53 players on Sunday, Hunter was out. So what gives?

Making heads or tails of the Miami Dolphins’ decision to waive RB Jarquez Hunter just days after trading for him

Aug 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter (27). Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

I did not have Hunter being cut on the bingo card. I would imagine that if Hunter clears waivers today, he’ll be given the chance to sign with the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad for the 2026 season. If that ends up becoming the case, Miami will end up retaining the chance to see their return from moving Atwell.

But if Hunter leaves? There’s still a value for the Miami Dolphins. It’s a much less fulfilling payoff than getting to see a player contribute this season. But shedding Atwell’s guaranteed salary and writing him off as a $187,500 loss instead of a $1.3M loss is still something. Just not something I would have guessed to be reality after watching the Dolphins running game this summer when the backups were on the field.

Monday afternoon will bring more clarity for Jarquez Hunter. At that point, the Dolphins can assess his availability and go from there. But with or without Hunter in the fray, the Dolphins are free to proceed with the other part of their trade with the Rams: they’re not paying Atwell anymore. I suppose that’s something no matter what.

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