Tua Tagovailoa breaks silence on Miami Dolphins contract situation

Tua Tagovailoa is set to earn $23.1million (£18.1m) in the final year of his rookie contract and the Miami Dolphins quarterback is looking to secure a substantial raise

Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins’ star quarterback, has shown up for the team’s mandatory minicamp, choosing not to hold out.

However, the former Alabama standout has made it clear that he’s “not blind” to the lucrative contracts being signed by other quarterbacks around the league.

Tagovailoa has proven himself as one of the top quarterbacks. Last season, the 26-year-old led the NFL with a whopping 4,624 passing yards, throwing an impressive 29 touchdowns against just 14 interceptions, helping the Dolphins secure a playoff spot.

Tagovailoa topped the league in passer rating in 2022, and his exceptional accuracy marks him as a high-quality player in a highly sought-after position. Considering the going rate for quarterbacks, it’s no shocker that Tagovailoa is likely eyeing an annual salary well over double the $23.1million (£18.1m) he’s set to earn in 2024 on his next contract.

Rather than making his contract dispute with the Dolphins a public and messy affair by holding out from mandatory minicamp, Tagovailoa has chosen to participate, albeit minimally. But while he’s with the team, Tagovailoa is keeping a close watch on the deals being inked by his competitors around the league.

The benchmark for top-tier NFL quarterbacks is now hovering around the $50million (£39.2m) mark annually, thanks to recent hefty contracts inked by stars like Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow. Tagovailoa, eyeing these massive deals, commented on whether Goff’s staggering $53m (£41.5m) per year deal might set a precedent for his own negotiations with the Dolphins.

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Jared Goff was recently handed a huge new contract ( Image: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

“The market is the market,” he said. “If we didn’t have a market, none of that would matter. That’s what I would say.”

Last season, Goff racked up 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, stats that closely match those of the Dolphins’ quarterback. Tagovailoa added: “Yeah, I’m not blind to people that are in my position that are getting paid. Am I concerned about it? I’m not concerned about it, but there’s a lot of discussions that we’ve had that we are just trying to move that thing in the right direction where we can both be happy.”

With free agency looming next offseason and no deal yet in place, Tagovailoa admitted he’s feeling ‘antsy’. He’s not alone in the waiting game; Dak Prescott, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence are also on the brink of securing their own blockbuster extensions from the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars respectively.

While there’s ongoing debate about whether Tagovailoa’s talent is worth the potential hefty price tag, the Dolphins seem to be without a backup plan. It’s reported that Miami may use contract bonuses as a safety net in their offers, but this could prolong negotiations as Tagovailoa will likely seek assurances in any agreement.

If the Dolphins aren’t prepared to offer long-term guarantees, Tagovailoa might choose to maximise his income by playing under the franchise tag in 2025 and 2026. Although this would leave his future uncertain, both Prescott and Kirk Cousins have used the franchise tag to their advantage to secure massive contracts.

It remains to be seen what the Dolphins will do with Tagovailoa, as the AFC East team has several contract matters to sort out. After Jaylen Waddle signed a profitable deal, Tyreek Hill, Tagovailoa’s preferred target, is expected to negotiate another extension following Justin Jefferson’s record-breaking deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.