As far as Tuas go, many people think salty tua is the greatest. If the front management decides to put off negotiating a new deal with the Miami quarterback this summer, they might take some of the heat.
The Dolphins exercised Tua Tagovailoa's fifth-year rookie contract option last season. It guarantees him a salary of $23.171 million in 2024 but does not provide any security for 2025 or beyond.
Tua was quiet about wanting a new deal last year, even though Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, two quarterbacks selected first overall in the 2020 draft, received huge extensions. Despite Tua starting every game and leading the NFL in passing yards with 4,624 this season, the Dolphins struggled in the last games and didn't defeat a "good" team all season, with the exception of a Christmas Eve victory over the Cowboys.
In Miami's view, the first consideration is the cost, and the second is the likelihood of a long-term commitment. How about a long-term arrangement that's fair and suitable for Tua? Is Tua getting $30 million out of an annual market value of $55 million? A whopping $35 million?
Is anyone aware of what would transpire if any other team had access to him? Would they make a racket? Would there, instead, be silence?
Making a solid but not spectacular multi-year offer and seeing whether he accepts may be Miami's strategy. The franchise tag for 2025 will be theirs if he doesn't. Alternately, they might maintain their ability to match offers by using the transition tag, which has a lower one-year number.
Another option the Dolphins have is to let him test the market. What on earth would transpire?
A lot will hinge on next year's events. Do you think he can maintain his health for an entire season? Will the Dolphins go past the preliminary round? Before shelling out big bucks for a guy who may have a hard cap on his potential, the Dolphins would benefit from that information.