The Dolphins set an unfortunate record this offseason following the release 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).
Of course, as Miami is undergoing a complete teardown, they’re not overly concerned about the wasted cap space in 2026. For competitive squads, a hefty dead cap charge could drastically limit their ability 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 always pursue some extra breathing room.
Which teams have the most dead cap on their books? We’ve listed them in order 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 close to 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 bottom of the list, as the Seahawks only have to account for $516K from Sataoa Laumea and Damien Martinez. The Broncos, who are finally seeing relief from Wilson’s former cap charge, have the second-smallest dead cap hit in the NFL, mostly taken up by Dre Greenlaw ($2.1MM).
Interestingly, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold recently explored how Wilson’s departure out of Denver may have created a trend around the NFL. The Broncos proved you can 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 always the quarterback,” an executive told Legwold of the dead-cap approach. “Any team, [the Broncos] included, you’re going to need good enough play at quarterback and a good enough team around the guy if you’re going to go to the playoffs like they did right away, 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.”