The Miami Dolphins have already committed to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as their long-term solution, publicly announcing their intention to sign him to a contract extension. However, the cost of extending the Pro Bowl signal-caller will be costly.
Tagovailoa stayed healthy in 2023, putting the issues with concussions behind him. With the front office now having more confidence in his long-term health and the Alabama alum coming off two outstanding seasons, a long-term deal would seem to be in order.
- Tua Tagovailoa stats 2023:Â 101.1 QB rating, 69.3% completion rate, 4,624 passing yards, 29-14 TD-INT, 8.3 yards per attempt, 272 passing yards per game
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The 25-year-old quarterback is coming off a career-best season. In 2023, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards and earned the first Pro Bowl selection since entering the league. After facing uncertainty over his play in his first two NFL seasons, the Dolphins’ quarterback has responded with a 102.9 QB rating, 67.4 percent completion rate and 54 passing touchdowns in his last 30 games.
Despite him coming off a poor performance in the Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami has expressed extreme confidence in Tagovailoa moving forward. With the organization sold on its quarterback of the future, there’s now early buzz on what a contract extension may cost.
Miami Dolphins rumors: Tua Tagovailoa contract extension projection
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote that a contract extension for Tagovailoa could start at around $40 million per season and potentially push closer toward $45 million depending on what quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield, Kirk Cousins and potentially Jared Goff sign for this offseason.
One other scenario Florio throws out is a short-term deal for Miami. Similar to what the New York Giants did with Daniel Jones, the Dolphins could push for a contract for around four seasons, which they could potentially get out of without significant salary-cap issues by 2026.
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Tagovailoa has certainly earned the extension with his performances over the past two seasons. He’s also earned the trust of head coach Mike McDaniel, executing the Dolphins’ system perfectly. Well-regarded as a leader in Miami’s locker room and carrying a favorable reputation with the media, Tagovailoa checks off the boxes for a franchise quarterback.
While there is theoretically room to improve over Tagovailoa, there isn’t a realistic option available for Miami. For a franchise that has already experienced quarterback purgatory and seen other NFL teams go through it for decades, signing Tagovailoa to a multi-year deal with $40-plus million annually is likely the Dolphins’ best option at quarterback moving forward.
