Caleb Harris
The Miami Dolphins will begin team workouts on Monday as part of their team-organized voluntary activities, and it is unclear whether starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be part of them.
Tagovailoa has been absent from the vast majority of offseason volunteer work since the Dolphins reported on April 15, sources close to the situation told CBS Sports. This is in stark contrast to his first four seasons in the league, when Tagovailoa was present for most of the volunteer work.
Sources believe his absence is related to his contract status. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall selection in 2020 NFL Draft, is currently set to play out the 2024 season on his fifth-year option worth $23.171 million. The Alabama alum was hoping for a long-term contract extension with the Dolphins, but that has not materialized to date.
The current rate for today NFL franchise quarterbacks is around the $50 million per year mark. Tagovailoa is scheduled to make less than half that in 2024, with no security beyond this season.
Last year, Tagovailoa played in all 17 games, a career first. He made his first Pro Bowl after passing for a career-high 4,624 yards and started in his first playoff game, a 26-7 loss to Kansas City at frigid Arrowhead. His 14 interceptions rank fourth in the league with Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence.
“Like we said, we weren’t going to talk all season contract-wise, but we stayed in touch with his agent and had good conversations throughout the year,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters in January. “We never talked about money or anything, just good conversations about where he’s at and the relationship with (coach) Mike (McDaniel) and the team here and everything he’s done. a high level. That’s always the goal and we’ll continue to communicate with him throughout the offseason here.”
Tagovailoa just completed his four-year, $30.275 million rookie contract. Last March, the Dolphins quickly picked up his fifth-year option, locking him into a 2024 deal worth $23.171 million in guaranteed money. But there were – and possibly still are – doubts about its durability.
During his final season at Alabama in 2019, he underwent surgery on his right ankle and missed the end of the season with a hip injury. He missed a game in each of his first two seasons with hand injuries and went on short-term injured reserve in his second year with a rib injury. In 2022, he suffered at least two concussions that led to changes in the league’s concussion protocol.
But last offseason he practiced jiu-jitsu to learn how to better protect himself when he falls to the ground. It was clearly rewarded for Tagovailoa, who played in every game of the season for the first time in his career.
To be sure, the Dolphins don’t need to reach an agreement with Tagovailoa this offseason. They have the 2025 franchise tag at their disposal, although it is predicted to cost more than $40 million for the 2025 season.
Like many players before him, Tagovailoa is apparently using his absence from volunteer work as leverage for a new deal. He showed up at the facility at the start of offseason work, and the team captured him on the field on April 19. But it’s unclear how long he’ll be willing to stay away. If this extends into training camp, Tagovailoa would be subject to a $40,000 fine for each day he is absent, but a league source indicated the Dolphins could reduce the fine or waive it entirely.
One argument for paying Tagovailoa would be to reduce his current cap hit so Miami can have more room to add pieces and become a championship contender.
The Dolphins faced the cap in the offseason. They made bargain signings while losing quality players, including defensive tackle Christian Wilkins ($110 million to the Raiders) and guard Robert Hunt ($100 million to the Panthers).
The Dolphins picked up fifth-year options on Jaelan Phillips and Jaylen Waddle this offseason, with the need to extend one or both players in the 2025 offseason. Safety Jevon Holland is in the final year of his rookie contract and is not a player which the Dolphins plan to lose. Holland was a second-round pick, so Miami doesn’t have a fifth-year option on him, and they can only use the franchise tag on one player per year.
But teams are sometimes wary of making too many signings before signing their quarterback, fearing the message it could send to the locker room. And that could also affect the Dolphins’ timing.
Quarterback contracts are typically judged by average annual value and guaranteed money. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts broke the $50 million per year cap last summer, which was surpassed by Lamar Jackson and surpassed again by Justin Herbert, who was taken one pick after Tagovailoa in 2020.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sits atop the quarterback salary rankings with a five-year, $275 million contract with $219 million in guarantees. The Chiefs restructured Patrick Mahomes’ one-time contract last fall to pay him a record $210.6 million over a four-year period.
And last week, the Lions signed Jared Goff to a four-year, $212 million extension with $170 million in guarantees.
Tagovailoa is part of a trio of quarterbacks who could get a new contract this offseason. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract, and Dallas doesn’t have the ability to franchise him. And the Jaguars are optimistic that a long-term deal will be reached with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence before the start of the season.
