The Miami Dolphins watched other teams make NFL news this offseason by signing their quarterbacks to historic contract extensions. While Tua Tagovailoa remains without a long-term contract, negotiations do reportedly seem to be going well.
Miami wasn’t interested in a contract extension a year ago. While Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating and helped the team reach the playoffs, he suffered multiple head injuries. The Dolphins front office had real concerns about his long-term health and wanted to see him prove himself in 2023.
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Tagovailoa delivered. The 26-year-old quarterback earned his first Pro Bowl selection and led the NFL in passing yards. He also started all 17 regular-season games, posting an 11-6 record and leading Miami to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
The Dolphins returned to the negotiating table this offseason. However, with NFL revenue skyrocketing, the salaries for the highest-paid NFL players explode. It’s left Miami in a position where it has to pay even more than expected, but talks are underway.
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Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL reporter Jeff Darlington said that Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are in active communications on a new deal but one is not expected to happen before training camp opens.
- Tua Tagovailoa stats (2023): 4,624 passing yards, 29-14 TD-INT, 101.1 QB rating, 69.3 percent completion rate, 8.3 yards per attempt, 11-6 record
“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 appear that this is going sideways by any means.”
Jeff Darlington on the Miami Dolphins’ negotiations for a Tua Tagovailoa contract extension
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- Tua Tagovailoa contract: $23.171 million salary in 2024, NFL free agent in 2025
The expectation remains that Tagovailoa’s contract will start in the ballpark of $53 million per season. It would at the very least match the average annual value Jared Goff received and Tagovailoa could push to match the Trevor Lawrence contract ($55 million AAV).
However, negotiations might be more complicated with Tagovailoa than the other quarterbacks. The Dolphins want protections in a long-term deal, ensuring themselves with some financial security if Tagovailoa’s durability issues continue. While a deal isn’t imminent, the expectation remains that the two sides will have a contract in place before Tagovailoa is eligible for NFL free agency.
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