Dolphins Trade Quarterback Mike White to Cardinals for 2026 Third-Round Pick

The Miami Dolphins have traded backup quarterback Mike White to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, both teams announced Tuesday evening. The move comes as the Dolphins look to free up salary cap space while the Cardinals seek veteran depth behind starting quarterback Kyler Murray.\n\nWhite, 29, started eight games for Miami last season when Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion. He threw for 2,847 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions during his stint as the starter, posting a 5-3 record. The former undrafted free agent from Western Kentucky has become a reliable veteran presence over his six-year NFL career.\n\nCardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort praised the acquisition during a conference call with reporters. "Mike brings valuable experience and leadership to our quarterback room," Ossenfort said. "He's proven he can step in and manage games when called upon, which is exactly what we were looking for in a backup."\n\nFor Miami, the trade creates approximately $4.2 million in cap space, which the team plans to use toward re-signing key free agents. Head Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that the team is comfortable moving forward with recently-signed rookie Caleb Farley as their primary backup behind Tagovailoa.\n\nThe Cardinals had been actively seeking quarterback depth after backup Colt McCoy announced his retirement last month. White is expected to report to Arizona's voluntary offseason program next week and will compete with second-year quarterback Clayton Tune for the backup role.\n\nThis marks the second significant trade of the NFL's early offseason period, following the Seattle Seahawks' acquisition of linebacker Roquan Smith from the Chicago Bears last week. League sources indicate that several other teams are actively shopping veteran players as they prepare for the March 15th start of the new league year.