What happens when an NFL player retires under contract? Does he still get paid?

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tua Tagolvailoa was in “good spirits” on Thursday evening but admitted that the quarterback’s latest injury scare was serious.

For the third time in his NFL career, on Thursday Tagovailoa was forced from the field after suffering a concussion. This latest incident is the third concussion suffered by Tagovailoa in the NFL. The Dolphins suffered a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills but McDaniel insisted that his player’s health was his main concern.

“Right now ... it is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time,” McDaniel said. “The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline.”

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“Every situation is unique. I am not worried about anything that’s out of my hands in terms of, I’m just worried about the human being, and he’ll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information.”

Including his college career, Tagovailoa has now been diagnosed with concussion four times in the past five years. In the 2022 he suffered two in-game concussions, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the season and consider an early retirement.

What happens to Tua Tagovailoa’s contract if he retires?

Ahead of the new season of NFL the Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to the franchise with a new four-year contract extension, a package worth up to $212 million. That deal was based on impressive performances throughout 2023 in which the Hawaiian led the league for passing yards.

But now, just two games into the four-season deal, Tagovailoa’s future in the NFL is in doubt. The player will need time to assess his options and has not yet offered any indication of his plans, but what would happen to that contract if he chooses to retire?

Michael Ginnitti, co-founder of Spotrac, has broken down what would happen to the QB’s contract.

In situations like this the ‘guaranteed’ part of a player’s contract becomes particularly important. That is the proportion of the deal that he will receive regardless of his on-field performance, provided that he doesn’t choose to stop playing without being told to do so by a physician or the league.

In short, Tagovailoa would be entitled to the remaining $124 million if he is unable to return to the field due to medical seasons. If he opts to retire then the Dolphins would not be legally required to pay out the remainder of the contract. On the other hand, if Tagovailoa passes the team physical next March the Dolphins could still choose to release him before the June 1 deadline for cuts. This would ensure that the team is only obliged to pay around $50 million of his remaining salary for 2025.