Taking a look at the top 10 Miami Dolphins under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
What started off as a very disappointing season in Miami after a major injury to Tyreek Hill, Miami finished strong, winning six out of their last ten games. The 7-10 record was not enough to keep Mike McDaniel, as the former head coach is now with the Chargers. With the disappointing play from Tua Tagovailoa, it appears that Miami is in the market for a quarterback and an overall reset to their franchise.
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Miami Dolphins still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Miami Dolphins salary cap data below is accurate as of February 22nd, 2026.
10 Best Miami Dolphins Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Miami Dolphins still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Bradley Chubb, EDGE ($31.2M)
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, S ($18.8M)
- Jaylen Waddle, WR ($11.7M)
- Zach Sieler, DL ($11.3M)
- Jordyn Brooks, LB ($10.9M)
- Aaron Brewer, C ($9.1M)
- De’Von Achane, HB ($6.1M)
- Alec Ingold, FB ($5.1M)
- Kenneth Grant, DL ($4.9M)
- Chop Robinson, EDGE ($4.1M)
Highest Miami Dolphins Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Miami Dolphins’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- QB, Tua Tagovailoa, $56.3M ($99.2M dead cap)
- EDGE, Bradley Chubb, $31.2M ($23.9M)
- S, Minkah Fitzpatrick, $18.9M ($12.9M)
- OT, Austin Jackson, $15.4M ($13.8M)
- WR, Jaylen Waddle, $11.7M ($39.9M)
- DL, Zach Sieler, $11.3M ($30.9M)
- LB, Jordyn Brooks, $10.9M ($8.3M)
- C, Aaron Brewer, $9.1M ($7.6M)
- HB, De’Von Achane, $6.1M ($238K)
- FB, Alec Ingold, $5.1M ($1.9M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 52 | $97,776,638 | $5,135,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 63 | $52,675,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 53 | $44,390,412 | $8,570,436 |
| 10 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 11 | NE | 64 | $34,800,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 12 | ARI | 59 | $32,813,790 | $14,951,854 |
| 13 | ATL | 50 | $26,181,296 | $4,660,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 55 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 59 | $22,453,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 54 | $9,875,093 | $14,607,844 |
| 19 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 20 | PHI | 56 | $3,679,036 | $53,387,574 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 54 | -$8,042,142 | $39,318,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | CHI | 53 | -$9,503,349 | $917,995 |
| 26 | JAX | 61 | -$12,074,552 | $50,977,118 |
| 27 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 28 | BUF | 59 | -$15,187,073 | $30,093,166 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$25,890,723 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
