This offseason is one that could alter the course of the Miami Dolphins franchise for years to come, as a decision needs to be made on the future at quarterback in South Florida.
Tua Tagovailoa is set to enter his fourth season in the NFL, meaning that, as a former first-round selection, Miami has the opportunity to tack a fifth year onto his rookie contract.
Doing so would fully guarantee a $23.1 million pay day for Tagovailoa in 2024.
Coming off of the best season of his career, the former Crimson Tide signal-caller has a lot of support in the building, as both general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel have stated that he’s their quarterback going forward.
When it comes to the fifth-year option, however, nothing has been done yet, but the deadline is still months away.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson recently spoke to two former general managers to get their opinion on this looming decision, and their answers rival what can be heard from the fan base on social media each and every day.
“There’s just too much of an injury risk,” one general manager said.
In 2022, Tagovailoa suffered two confirmed concussions and another scary injury that was reported as a back injury but looked much worse. He’s also dealt with fractured ribs and fingers at other points since entering the league.
It’s not all bad, though.
“He showed enough last season that you want to see this play out,” the other general manager said. “If you don’t pick it up and he has a really good year next year, you’re going to have to pay him a lot more [in 2024]. I think it’s worth the risk.”
If Tagovailoa performs well, and the Dolphins want to keep him around, at the very least, they’ll have to use a transition or franchise tag. According to Over the Cap, those are projected to be valued at $36.3 million and $41.7 million, respectively.
Miami has a lot of thinking to do because Tagovailoa is one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in the NFL.
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