Dolphins Waiting on Armstead Answer

Terron Armstead threw out the idea of retirement after the Miami Dolphins' 2023 season ended, and he has yet to make a final decision.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said at the combine Tuesday that the Dolphins are giving Armstead the time he needs to decide whether he come back for an 11th NFL season, which would be his third with the Dolphins.

If Armstead has made that decision, as a recent report suggested, he hasn't shared it with McDaniel or the Dolphins.

"I have let time allow for what is an important decision for him," McDaniel said Tuesday. "I let time from the season evolve so that he can give us a window into what he's thinking. I think it's important there's a roller coaster of emotions when you're talking about potentially leaving a game that you're elite at it and the pros and cons of that. He's been an believable leader. And he's really battled through a ton of different things for us. And right now he's determining something that him and his body are the only people that know and we are very open for that.

"However, we also have to allow for that time and assess all options so that the Miami Dolphins have plans regardless of any sort of scenario, which is what we get paid to do. But there's not anybody that's earned more liberty to take his time to figure out what's the next step in his life and if it's with this team or not, we're allowing that with with Terron and excited to hear some conclusions he's drawn in the in the near future."

Whether it happens now or a year from now or later, the Dolphins absolutely have to prepare for life without Armstead, but him deciding to retire now would just add another complication in an already complicated offseason.

From a financial and cap standpoint, Armstead's 2024 salary calls for $5 million already guaranteed, with the remaining $8 million becoming guaranteed on the third day of the league year, March 15.

The Dolphins could save $9.5 million of cap space if they decide to release Armstead with a post-June 1 designation while they would carry $11.4 million of dead space.