Tua Tagovailoa is entering the final year of his rookie deal with the Miami Dolphins—but the quarterback has provided a favorable update on ongoing extension talks.
Tua Tagovailoa has spoken out about his contract predicament as he enters the final year of his rookie NFL deal with the Miami Dolphins.
The 26-year-old quarterback has a five-year contract with the Dolphins that will expire at the end of the 2024 season. Following a remarkable season in which he led the league in passing yards and earned his first Pro Bowl selection, the Dolphins have begun negotiations for a long-term contract extension.
Tagovailoa, who is from Hawaii, has assuaged worries about his conditioning by appearing in all 18 games, including the playoffs, in a spectacular season for the Dolphins. This time last year, his health was under scrutiny due to concussion difficulties, but now the focus is on his potential earnings.
Nonetheless, Tagovailoa told reporters during a camp he hosted on Oahu over the weekend: “I’m not telling anyone what I’m doing this offseason.” That’s what makes me unique in my own way. I am a pretty private person, therefore I believe that will be handled in-house.”
However, he did provide some insight into his contract negotiations. “They’ve been good,” he explained. “Right now, I’m letting my agent (Ryan Williams of Athletes First) handle it. I’m focused on my family, on continuing to improve myself and my trade, and we’ll talk about it more when the time comes. For now, there will undoubtedly be exciting days ahead.”
The franchise expressed similar sentiments at the NFL Scouting Combine, with general manager Chris Grier speaking to the public about the conversations. “Our goal is to try and get something done,” he admitted. Ryan Williams has been excellent. Tua has been excellent.
“We will see. There is no timetable for it. At the end of the day, you know how these agreements are completed. They are complicated deals, and we are also creating a team through free agency. We’ll work through it and see what we can accomplish.”
Grier continued, “I believe we are hopeful. When you go through these things, you’ll notice that transactions rarely come together quickly. There are several bits and moving parts. We’ve had excellent discussions so far, and we’ll continue to work here during the offseason. I believe everyone would prefer that we do something before the season begins.
“But you’ve seen over the last few years, some of these other big deals that have been done have gone all the way into training camp, because they are complicated deals to put together with the money and stuff people are talking about.”
The GM also stated that he and head coach Mike McDaniel are “strong believers” in Tagovailoa and “all feel there’s still another level he can go to.” The quarterback said a month ago that he is not in a hurry to sign. “I don’t think there’s any pressure,” Tagovailoa said. “The goal is to be a Dolphin for life.”