One of the biggest questions heading into training camp for the Miami Dolphins is whether the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will agree on a new contract extension before the season starts. Honestly, I’m tired of hearing, reading, and listening to this question. I understand why; it’s because Tagovailoa’s last season is under contract.
I also understand he wants to get paid what the market is for quarterbacks nowadays: around $250 million, with $175-$200 million guaranteed.
However, just because quarterback Tagovailoa’s peers, such as Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff, got contracts like that doesn’t mean the Dolphins should pay him for that. Quarterbacks that get paid that money should be top quarterbacks, and Goff and Lawrence aren’t top quarterbacks, and neither is Tagovailoa.
Before last year, Justin Herbert got a big contract, and I know he has talent, but he isn’t playing like a top quarterback either, and he has had a lot of talent around him. Some people still think the Dolphins made a mistake taking Tagovailoa over Herbert. I’m not one of them. I think the Dolphins made the right decision taking Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa has gotten better each year he has been in the league. Last year, he threw for over 4,600 yards and 29 touchdown passes to lead the Dolphins to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Tagovailoa has flourished under head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense and has performed remarkably. However, I’m not willing to pay Tua the market value because in the last two seasons, his performance has faded in the last month of the season, and the team has failed in big games.
I know Tagovailoa missed time in 2022, including the playoff game and the last two regular-season games. However, Tagovailoa was the quarterback when they were 8-3, starting when the team had its 5-game losing streak. He played in four of those games and didn’t play well before his concussion.
Last year, the Dolphins were 10-3 in the last month of the season and choked the division title away before getting blown out in the wild-card round. I know the Dolphin’s injuries, especially at the wide receiver position, but there was a spot for Tagovailoa to raise his level of play late in the season, and he failed in a big spot in crunch time, and that is where a quarterback earns his money.
For the first time in his football career, Tagovailoa played an entire season and has done everything he can every off-season to improve his body so that he can stay on the field. However, it comes down to his play late in the season, and whether he can raise his level of play with the game on the line, and so far, the answer is no.
Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier recognizes this. I’m sure he wants to pay Tagovailoa because he drafted him, but at what price?
Grier seems to have a figure in mind and isn’t moving off of it. I think that is smart because he sees the other quarterbacks who are getting paid and haven’t done much of anything, so why should I pay for a quarterback who can’t deliver in big games late in the season to get this team over the hump despite his improvements?
Grier is walking a fine line here, I’m sure, as the rest of the team is monitoring this closely. However, Grier also has to take a stance regarding how much he is willing to pay a player at a premium position who hasn’t performed like a top player late in the season.
If Tagovailoa comes to camp and goes into the season without a deal and is angry, so be it. Maybe it motivates him and drives him like it did Joe Flacco with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012 when he went into the final year of his deal and couldn’t reach a deal with the Ravens. Flacco raised his level of play, the Ravens won the Super Bowl, and Flacco got his new contract.
If Tagovailoa can do something like that, then give him what he wants, but don’t pay him top dollar just because his peers are getting paid when they haven’t delivered anything.
If Tagovailoa wants to be the face of the franchise for the next decade, then he needs to deliver late in the season to get this team over the hump and then pay him.
As Training Camp Nears, Dolphins Fans Have Hope for a Big Season
TOTALLY AGREE! Tua had a 66.5 passer rating during the 3 games losing streak to end the season. Our injuries were largely on defense and we still kept games close while the offense disappeared down the stretch. We mopped up on the weaker teams and only beat 1 playoff team (cowboys) and that was filled with field goals and missed opportunities. McD, Tua, and this whole offense needs to step it up in big games this year. Pay him next year and if it costs more so be it. Don’t follow the Lions and Jags, those aren’t franchise examples on the right side of nfl history.
Totally agree but I do think that he was the wrong draft pick but that’s something that time will answer for both of us. If this is what Greir is truly doing, he is doing the right thing, but I say that Grier is a terrible general manager and has shot himself in the front with his refusal to draft a quarterback and develop him. I don’t think that this season will go very well for the dolphins. Typically, it takes a year for defenses to catch up to offenses and the blueprint for defeating Tua was figured out last year. I think that the bills or the Jets will take the division and at some point, Tua will sustain an injury. I don’t want to see the guy get hurt but he is very fragile and the offense will have to evolve and can only survive on quick dropbacks for so long. I’m not sure they can win more than seven games because the last half of the season is a monster and there are a lot of games that have to be played in the cold weather. I see us drafting another quarterback, possibly franchising Tua, and either trading him for a low to mid-round draft pick or letting him go via free agency and him becoming a backup somewhere.
Accepting the premise that the “market is the market”, that requires that we consider who would be in the market for Tua and at what price. If he was a free agent today, there are relatively few teams that might be “in the market”. Denver, LV, Minn, Seattle, NYG, Tenn. Would any be willing to pony up the $$? All have inferior talent – does Tua have the ability to raise their level of play? A market requires both a buyer and a seller.
” Some people still think the Dolphins made a mistake taking Tagovailoa over Herbert. I’m not one of them. ” Anything said after that comment is questionable, because that comment alone is ridiculous.
This article is so on point. I agree with everything said except the fins should’ve taken Herbert. Tua needs a great team around him and the fins can’t do that if he’s making market money. Tua doesn’t elevate anything. He’s the opposite as a matter of fact. No mobility and no arm strength to offset his lack of mobility that would help extend plays. Trevor, Kirk, and Jared have all won at least one playoff game. Tua has none and he wants market money? Tua is a product of McDaniels’ system which means if the fins had, let’s say Justin fields, imagine what McDaniels offense would look like.
Always what tua hasn’t done, goal posts for this kid have moved like i have never seen in my life. Herbert gets literally all the excuses, Tua gets none. Dude gets better every year but I kinda hope we fumble this, lose him in free agency and get back on the carousel of qbs again so all you guys who said Tua aint it get to be “reminded” of what it is like without a franchise qb.
Such a delusionaly expectant fanbase we are, finally get a good qb and now we should go back to drawing board until we get a top 5 hof guy. 😂😂😂
Lol 😆 if you say so