Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins appeared to be close to reaching an agreement on a new contract throughout the majority of the offseason.
Tua’s rookie deal is about to expire, and he will make $23.17 million this year. Given his effectiveness and the dynamic nature of the NFL quarterback market, a sizable pay increase appears likely.
The Detroit Lions signed great quarterback Jared Goff to a four-year, $212 million contract earlier this week. It appears that this establishes the market for a possible Tagovailoa expansion in South Beach.
Chris Grier, the general manager of the Dolphins, expressed confidence early in the offseason that something would be completed in time for the 2024 season.
We continued to communicate with his agent. We had some really nice talks all year long. We only ever discussed where he is, his relationship with Mike and the people here, and what he has accomplished. We never discussed money or anything else. The intention is to have him play at a high level for a long time here. That’s always the objective, and we’ll stay in touch with him over the off-season.
The most recent development in this case may cause some tension between the parties.
As of this spring, Tua has not participated in any voluntary off-season activities, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. His contract predicament is directly tied to his absence.
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It remains to be seen if Tua will genuinely hold out during training camp if an extension is not reached. Even still, it still seems improbable.
We do know, though, that Miami is trying to recoup some of its losses with a new deal.
The Dolphins will want to include provisions for signing bonuses, base salaries, exercise bonuses, and per-game roster bonuses in the contract. Because of his health, the roster bonus each game is considerable, but the agency side will object, according to a recent ESPN article by Marcel Louis-Jacquez.
Tua completed 69% of his throws for a league-high 4,624 yards last season, along with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
He’s probably the Dolphins’ best choice going forward, regardless of whether management thinks he can be a top franchise player. This greatly increases the negotiating power that Tagovailoa and his representatives at Athletes First have.
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