Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins’ star quarterback, has attended the team’s mandatory minicamp, opting not to hold out.
The former Alabama standout acknowledges the lucrative contracts being signed by other quarterbacks around the league.
Tagovailoa has proven himself as one of the top quarterbacks. Last season, the 26-year-old led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, throwing 29 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, helping the Dolphins secure a playoff spot.
He topped the league in passer rating in 2022, and his exceptional accuracy marks him as a high-quality player in a highly sought-after position. Considering the going rate for quarterbacks, it’s no surprise that Tagovailoa is likely eyeing an annual salary well over double the $23.1 million he is set to earn in 2024 on his next contract.
Rather than making his contract dispute with the Dolphins public and messy by holding out from mandatory minicamp, Tagovailoa has chosen to participate, albeit minimally. However, he is closely monitoring the deals being signed by his competitors around the league.
The benchmark for top-tier NFL quarterbacks is now around the $50 million mark annually, thanks to recent hefty contracts signed by stars like Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Joe Burrow. Tagovailoa, eyeing these massive deals, commented on whether Goff’s staggering $53 million per year deal might set a precedent for his own negotiations with the Dolphins.
“The market is the market,” he said. “If we didn’t have a market, none of that would matter. That’s what I would say.”
Last season, Goff recorded 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, stats that closely resemble those of the Dolphins’ quarterback. Tagovailoa added, “Yeah, I’m not blind to people in my position getting paid. Am I concerned about it? Not really, but we’ve had many discussions to move things in the right direction so we can both be happy.”
With free agency approaching next offseason and no deal in place yet, Tagovailoa admitted he’s feeling ‘antsy.’ He’s not alone; Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, and Trevor Lawrence are also on the verge of securing their own major extensions from the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively.
