The avalanche of Miami Dolphins cuts Monday, which included the monumental release of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, began with outside linebacker Bradley Chubb.
Chubb’s news was first Monday morning, as it was later revealed the team moved on from Hill, guard James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The latter three were made official by the team Monday afternoon while Chubb was informed he will be officially released at a later date, according to a league source.
It all marks the beginning of a large-scale roster overhaul of what previous GM Chris Grier had in place.
The next major offseason question is what happens with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who survived Monday’s cuts. With a would-be record-breaking dead cap hit of $99.2 million associated with his release, the Dolphins are expected to seek a trade partner for the left-handed passer first before potentially moving off from him via release.
Monday’s moves are a first step in getting Miami salary cap compliant ahead of the start of the new league year March 11, as the team entered Monday projected to be about $17.4 million over the 2026 salary cap, according to aptly named website OverTheCap.com.
Part of the hold-up with Chubb, who turns 30 before next season, may be how to designate his cut. Releasing him outright saves the Dolphins about $7.3 million toward the salary cap, while accounting for nearly $23.9 million in dead cap space. But if he’s released with a post-June 1 designation, the Dolphins stand to save about $20.2 million toward the cap with just roughly $11 million of dead cap.
The cut always seemed likely this offseason even when Grier or interim GM Champ Kelly were still running Miami’s roster. He returned to the team last offseason on a restructured deal.
Chubb is coming off a major bounce-back season after missing his 2024 campaign recovering from a knee injury.
He had 8 ½ sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 47 tackles, playing all 17 games after tearing his ACL in one of his knees at the end of 2023. That injury occurred on Dec. 23, 2023 against the Baltimore Ravens, and the rehab kept him sidelined through all of 2024.
Additionally, Chubb was the Dolphins’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee this past season.
Chubb, the No. 5 pick of the 2018 draft by the Denver Broncos, was traded to the Dolphins from the Broncos at the trade deadline of the 2022 season. He totaled 22 sacks playing two and a half seasons for Miami, not including 2024 when he didn’t play.
When Grier traded for Chubb, he was expected to form half of a fierce pass-rushing duo with Jaelan Phillips, a first-round pick of the Dolphins in 2021. Phillips suffered two season-ending injuries of his own in his time in Miami. Phillips was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles at last season’s trade deadline.
The Dolphins will move forward with a major need on the edge, possibly with the outlook of using more 4-3 defensive ends. New coach Jeff Hafley, along with defensive coordinator Sean Duggan, used them plenty over 3-4 outside linebackers with the Green Bay Packers the past two seasons.
Miami doesn’t have much at the position beyond Chop Robinson, who enters his third NFL season next fall after he was a first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Daniels was a ballyhooed signing of the previous Dolphins regime last offseason. He was Miami’s highest-priced free-agent pickup, signing a contract of three years and $24 million last March.
Coming off a torn Achilles in 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Daniels was back on the field for Miami’s season opener in Indianapolis. His season, however, was cut short three plays in. Daniels injured a pectoral muscle on the opening drive and never returned.
Cutting Daniels creates $4.8 million in dead money for 2026 while costing the Dolphins just more than $1.18 million against the cap, a small fee to rid themselves of the 28-year-old injury-prone blocker.
Westbrook-Ikhine, who turns 29 March 21, signed a two-year, $5.99 million contract last offseason with the Dolphins. He was coming off a nine-touchdown season with the Tennessee Titans.
Westbrook-Ikhine had just 11 catches for 89 yards and didn’t find the end zone in his time with Miami. The Dolphins save $1.55 million by cutting him.