Miami Dolphins and QB Tua Tagovailoa remain ‘active’ in contract talks

The Tua Tagovailoa contract saga is now heading into mid-July, with the two sides unable to reach a long-term agreement. But in a recent update from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, it sounds like the two sides continue to meet in hopes of completing a long-term deal before the start of the 2024 NFL Season.

“Starting with Tua Tagovailoa, that is the most pressing. That is the one that the team continues to try to get done with Tua”, Darlington said. “Now, the last time I was on here reporting on this, I mentioned we weren’t quite to the point where market value had been reached in the eyes of Tua Tagovailoa to the point where they could reach an interview.”

Darlington continued:

“While I can’t say that there is anything imminent in terms of a deal as we inch closer to training camp, I can at least tell you that there have been active negotiations since then. They continue to try to get this done with a very amicable approach. It does not seem like it’s going sideways by any means. I still think we’ll have to wait and see if it gets done before the season.”

Tagovailoa, 26, remains steadfast in his approach that ‘the market is the market,’ and he deserves to be paid as such. And who could fault him for feeling that way after leading the NFL in passing yards and playing an entire 17-game season for the first time in his young NFL Career? Especially when quarterbacks like Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence made big-time money.

It is also his first real opportunity to cash in since being drafted 5th overall in the 2020 NFL draft. After an array of injuries derailed the beginning of his career, I understand entirely why Tagovailoa and his agents at Athlete’s First are trying to get him a record-setting deal.

Just like I understand entirely what the Dolphins are doing.

The truth is, General Manager Chris Grier and VP of Football Brandon Shore have to continue to do what’s best for the franchise while still trying to do right by their star quarterback. Right now, both sides are hoping to ‘win’ the negotiations, and if that means making their star quarterback a bit annoyed in the process in order to save money long-term, that’s just what they’ll have to do.

Maybe things have yet to go sideways, but these sides will remain at an impasse until Tua Tagovailoa or the Miami Dolphins give a little more than the take. I just hope this dispute doesn’t trickle into the start of the regular season, casting a dark shadow on the 2024 Miami Dolphins.

What are your thoughts on QB1, Tua Tagovailoa? Do you think the Miami Dolphins should give him a record-setting contract? Or should they wait until after the 2024 NFL season to re-evaluate things? Where do you think Tua should be ranked among his peers? Let us know in the comments section below!