MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Are the Miami Dolphins all-in on Tua Tagovailoa?
Their words say yes. Their deeds say something different.
Tagovailoa’s monthslong quest for a new contract has dragged into training camp, prompting the Dolphins’ QB1 to stage a hold-in in protest.
Where do things go from here? It’s hard to say. But unless Tagovailoa’s demands are completely outrageous — which, knowing his character, seems unlikely — the Dolphins absolutely are hedging on their franchise quarterback.
Making Sense of Miami Dolphins-Tua Tagovailoa Contract Drama
As Tagovailoa said last month, the market is the market. And the market for top 10-15 quarterbacks in their prime is $50-$55 million a year with at least $150 million guaranteed.
If the Dolphins are offering that and Tua is holding out for more, that’s a mistake.
But the more likely scenario is they are not comfortable making that commitment to a player who has had significant health concerns and struggles in the biggest games.
On Wednesday, PFN asked Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel about the external perception that the Dolphins are hedging when it comes to Tua.
Are the Miami Dolphins hedging on Tua Tagovailoa? Mike McDaniel responds pic.twitter.com/CqRttGFMrr
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley)
Here’s his response:
“it’s important for me as the head coach and my connection with the players and what my bottom-line job is to maximize the abilities that I know where my place is in my relationship with him. I’m not involved in those things. My job is to focus on him getting better — solely.
“I think in terms of hedging. I know as an organization, we’ve prioritized it by entering in negotiations a long time ago, whenever that started. By doing that, I think it speaks to kind of how important it is to both sides.
“They’re relentlessly working on it. Great things take time. The one thing that’s come about this whole process is I am very, very confident in my relationship with Tua and he can separate the business entity.
“Ultimately, he knows, any way you cut it, our focus has to be on what it looks like when he’s playing football. I wouldn’t hedge a bet that he would come to me with that conversation, but I’ll play out your scenario. It’s good.”
Translation? The Dolphins believe they are making a good faith effort to get this deal done, but McDaniel wants to make it clear that GM Chris Grier and top Dolphins negotiator Brandon Shore are driving the bus on this issue.
If there’s anyone who knows what Tua’s going through on the Dolphins roster, it’s cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who basically forced his way off of two teams — the Jaguars and Rams — in his first eight NFL seasons.
“That’s his business,” Ramsey said. “I don’t really want to get into another man’s business and his pockets. He’s got to handle that however he sees fit, however him and his agent sees fit.
“Obviously, I love having Tua as a teammate. I love having him as the leader of this team, the quarterback of this team. Selfishly for me and I feel like the team, we all want it to get done. Whether it’s going to bother him or not, I don’t think so. But it could clear his conscience a little bit more and secure some generational wealth for him and his family. I hope he gets every penny he wants. It is what it is.”
We drill down more on this topic, plus recap Day 1 of Dolphins training camp, in the long-awaited return of the PFN Miami Dolphins Podcast.