Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins will be opening up training camp in roughly a month. Whether the star quarterback actually shows up remains to be seen.
Tua has been involved in somewhat public contract extension negotations with the Dolphins’ brass throughout the offseason.
The former first-round pick from Alabama is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract. He’s slated to earn $23.17 million — a number that is far below market value.
With the likes of fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff having signed huge long-term deals leading up to the 2024 season; Tua rightfully wants his.
It really is about market value and what the Dolphins are willing to offer. At this point, things seem to be at a standstill.
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“I’ll tell you one thing. The market is the market. If we didn’t have a market, then none of that would matter,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “It would just be an organizational thing. It didn’t matter if that guy got paid that, because it’s up to the organization. That is what I would say. The market is the market.”
The tone of Tua’s comments can’t be mistaken. He’s obviously frustrated with how things have gone behind the scenes.
Lawrence’s five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars opened eyes around the NFL. It matches Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals for the richest contract on a per-year basis in the history of the league.
This is what Tua is talking about when he referenced the term “market” five times in his recent comments. This is obviously a talking point the quarterback’s agent, Austin Lyman of Athletes First, wants his client to use in a public setting.
It’s fair given the comparisons between Lawrence and Tagovailoa early in their careers.
- Trevor Lawrence stats: 64% completion, 11,770 yards, 58 TD, 39 INT, 85.0 QB rating
- Tua Tagovailoa stats: 67% completion, 12,639 yards, 81 TD, 37 INT, 97.1 QB rating
There are obviously other factors that come into play here. Miami’s brass will point to the talent level surrounding Tua in South Beach. That includes star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Lawrence has not had the same supporting cast in Duval.
But as Tua says, the market is the market.
Miami appears dug in. Tagovailoa’s side does, too. It could lead to some major drama this summer and heading into training camp.