ORLANDO — The strongest case Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can make for a contract extension this offseason?
He’s here — and he’s healthy.
Tagovailoa is a first-time Pro Bowler after a career year in which he led the NFL in passing. And he played an entire season for the time since his sophomore year at Alabama.
So even with the Dolphins offense’s disappointing finish to the 2023 regular and postseason, the organization and player want to get a long-term deal done — this offseason, if possible.
Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Talks Contract, 2023 Season
“I believe that will happen, but I’m gonna let my agents, gonna let you know Chris [Grier], Mike [McDaniel], let those guys talk about that and let them move forward accordingly,” Tagovailoa said prior to practice Friday.
Tagovailoa also hinted that it would not be an acrimonious negotiation — even though there might be some challenges in nailing down his valuation.
The Dolphins likely aren’t looking to reset the quarterback market, but would Tua be OK with a contract that pays him below $50 million annually?
They functionally control his rights for the next three years due to the franchise tag, although for accounting purposes, it’s better for the team to not have massive base salary obligations each year.
Tagovailoa wasn’t asked about possibly holding out during the wide-ranging 10-minute media availability, but he suggested he will attend the team’s voluntary practices this spring.
“There’s probably four things that I wanna get better at,” Tagovailoa said. “Am I gonna share? Probably not. But I’m looking forward to OTAs when we get to see you guys again and you guys can see us.”
Tagovailoa acknowledged that “it takes a lot more than what we probably thought, you know, we needed” to reach the Super Bowl.
Making the Pro Bowl is clearly a big deal to Tua, who grew up attending practices for the event when it was held in Hawaii. He mentioned he had the chance as a kid to watch Peyton Manning — who’s now Tua’s coach on the AFC squad.
MORE: Tua Tagovailoa Contract Extension? Big Decision Coming for Miami Dolphins
As for the significance of six Dolphins making the Pro Bowl, Tagovailoa said:
“I think that should tell you a lot about the guys that are here. I think that was well-earned, well-deserved. I mean, everyone here works hard. You know, we all try to try to accomplish the same goal, try to get to the Super Bowl. But at the end of the day, we’re all competitors so it’s just really cool that we all get recognized for something like this.”
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