Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is signing a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension on Friday, according to Athletes First. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were able to work out a long-term contract extension during the first week of training camp. It makes sense after it was reported earlier on Friday that the 26-year-old former first-rounder was a full participant in training camp on practice. Tagovailoa earned this extension by leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in his fourth NFL campaign while also throwing a career-high 29 touchdowns to go along with 14 interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. Fantasy-wise, Tagovailoa has the ability to rack up the aerial yards with elite accuracy and two of the best receivers in the game at his disposal, but the absence of much of a rushing profile, his ceiling will likely be capped as a low-end QB1.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a full participant in Friday's training camp practice after he was limited on Wednesday and didn't take part on Thursday. Tagovailoa isn't injured this summer, but he was expected to hold in at camp while he and the Dolphins continue to work on a much-deserved long-term contract extension. A hold-in from the 26-year-old former first-round signal-caller is out the window now, and it would be a surprise if the two sides don't work something out before the start of the regular season this fall after Tagovailoa put up a career year in 2023. In 17 regular-season starts, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 yards and added a career-high 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He has one of the best one-two punches at receiver in the league, but his floor as a QB1 is lower than some of the other big names at the position because of his lack of rushing statistics.
Tua Tagovailoa's Participation Level At Camp Will Be "Very Fluid"
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's participation level at training camp will be "very fluid," and he's unlikely to fully participate in all practices as contract discussions between the two sides continue. The Dolphins and Tagovailoa have been in talks on a long-term contract extension worth north of $50 million per season. The 26-year-old former first-rounder out of Alabama was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2023 in his fourth year in the NFL, when he threw for a league-high 4,624 yards while tossing a career-high 29 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. Tagovailoa deserves a raise after last year's performance, but in terms of fantasy, despite leading the league in passing yards, he barely finished as a top-10 QB. He's extremely accurate and has one of the best one-two punches in the league at receiver, but his lack of rushing prowess makes him merely a low-end QB1/high-end QB2.
Tua Tagovailoa May Not Practice Until He Gets A New Deal
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could opt to not participate in any practices until he receives a new contract. Tagovailoa is still expected to report for training camp this week, but he's in the final year of his rookie deal with the Dolphins and is searching for a long-term extension. It's not clear at this point where the two sides are at in this regard, and it'll be something for fantasy managers to keep an eye on throughout camp. The 26-year-old star signal-caller was a first-time Pro Bowler a season ago, leading the league in passing yards (4,624) while registering career-high marks in completion rate (69.3%) and touchdown passes (29) with 14 interceptions over 17 starts in Miami's high-powered offense. Tagovailoa remains safe to draft this summer as a low-end QB1 starter without much rushing upside in the later rounds after the top-tier options are off the board, with RotoBaller ranking him as the QB12 overall.
The Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have yet to work out a long-term contract extension, but Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill believes his QB should be one of the highest-paid signal-callers in the league. "For people to like sit here and try to discredit Tua and say he's not deserving of a contract is wild to me," Hill said. "A lot of guys on the team understand his value and understand that we need him. We need his leadership, we need the mindset that he brings into each and every week. It's there. It's like Terminator almost, man. I feel like he should be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league." Tagovailoa is heading into his fifth year in the NFL and is coming off a career year in which he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and added 29 touchdowns while completing 69.3% of his passes in 17 regular-season games.
According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have had "active negotiations" regarding a new contract. Although this situation has been ongoing for months, both sides have remained amicable through the process. With Tyreek Hill also looking for more money, Miami has been busy. However, the team is prioritizing Tagovailoa's demands, considering he's entering the final year of his rookie deal. The signal-caller is coming off a solid 2023-24 campaign, throwing for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while completing 69.3% of his attempts. Without question, the Dolphins would love to keep him around for years to come, especially since he proved he can stay healthy by appearing in all 17 games last season.
Dolphins Want Tua Tagovailoa Extension, Mulling Fair Value
The Miami Dolphins want to extend quarterback Tua Tagovailoa but are still evaluating a fair market value, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. As Schefter notes, the quarterback market shifted drastically this offseason when the Jacksonville Jaguars handed Trevor Lawrence a deal worth $55 million per year. Prior to that deal, the Dolphins likely couldn't have justified paying Tagovailoa $55 million per year, but now the former first-round pick can argue that he's worth even more than Lawrence. In the meantime, Tagovailoa is preparing to play out the final year of his rookie deal. He's coming off a strong season in which he earned his first Pro Bowl nod, threw for a career-high 29 touchdowns, and led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal, the 26-year-old signal-caller enters 2024 as a mid-to-low QB1 option in most fantasy football leagues.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is present for mandatory minicamp. "In the flesh," McDaniel said. Tagovailoa is present this week, but he may not do much on the field as he seeks a contract extension that the two sides have been discussing for some time. The 26-year-old former first-rounder wasn't involved as much in voluntary organized team activities this offseason as he has been in years past, but that's also likely related to his contract demands, and it shouldn't be taken in a negative light concerning his 2024 fantasy value. A lighter Tagovailoa should be able to work something out with Miami before the start of the regular season. He had a career year in 2023 and should once again lead a high-scoring Dolphins offense with one of the best one-two punches at wideout in the lead. However, Tagovailoa lacks high-end QB1 upside because of his lack of rushing production.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dropped around 10 to 15 pounds this offseason and is down to 220 pounds, which is his ideal playing weight this year as he seeks more agility/escapability. Tagovailoa is currently set to play on his fifth-year option in 2024, but sources are optimistic that the former first-rounder and the Dolphins will be able to work out a long-term contract extension before the 2024 regular season starts this fall. Reports recently were overblown that Tagovailoa was skipping some of the team's offseason meetings. He reported to the first day of voluntary organized team activities on Monday and was seen throwing passes on Tuesday, so he remains fully committed to Miami and is unlikely to stage any sort of holdout this summer. The Dolphins aren't too concerned that Tua's drop in weight will make him more fragile. Tagovailoa doesn't have high-end fantasy upside, but he's at least a midrange QB1 in Miami's high-scoring offense.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in the team's building on Monday for the start of organized team activities, according to a source. Tagovailoa is slated to become the next signal-caller to receive a big payday, but the two sides remain in negotiations this offseason. Despite nothing being finalized, the former first-rounder said he was planning on attending the team's offseason workouts. The 26-year-old reportedly has not been with the team as much this offseason as he has been in previous years, but it's a good sign that he's now with the team for OTAs and remains committed to Miami. It should go a long way to both sides eventually working something out on a long-term extension. If no extension is reached, Tagovailoa would play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option. Contract issues aside, he's a rising midrange QB1 after a career year in 2023 with one of the best 1-2 punches at receiver in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
