Exploring what new deal for Tua might look like
Ahead of the start of free agency on Wednesday, an extension for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn’t the most pressing Dolphins matter.
Miami still needs to clear more than $20 million in cap space to become compliant and have the flexibility to not only retain free agents, but also add players.
Tagovailoa’s expected extension, however, is the team’s most consequential matter.
A lucrative extension would tie the Dolphins to Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, for multiple seasons and confirm the public support Miami’s decision-makers have given him in the past few years.
The Dolphins have been in contract talks with Tagovailoa’s agent since the end of the 2023 season, but general manager Chris Grier said at the NFL Scouting Combine that there is no timeline to get a deal done.
A source reiterated that an extension for Tagovailoa, 26, is not imminent and that there is no rush to get one done. ESPN reported that talks could extend into the spring and summer.
If the two sides can’t strike a deal, Tagovailoa would play the final year of his rookie deal on the fifth-year option, worth $23.17 million.
A deal for Tagovailoa will likely make him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL but the mystery is how much the final figures will be. After struggling early and dealing with injuries, Tagovailoa has blossomed under head coach Mike McDaniel. In 2023, Tagovailoa was named to his first Pro
Bowl and set career-high marks for passing yards (4,624) and touchdowns (29). He also played in every game for the first time in his career.
Last offseason, four of Tagovailoa’s peers — including a trio from the same draft class — signed deals averaging more than $50 million in annual value. While all these new contracts provide a framework for Tagovailoa’s extension, the comparison was a bit complicated by the recent increase in the salary cap. The previous deals were signed when the cap was set at $224.8 million per team. The NFL announced last month that the 2024 salary cap will be set at $255.4 million, a drastic rise and higher than most teams projected.
Grier said he was unsure how
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