Miami key player Tua Tagovailoa has terminated his contract that worth $23.171 million…
Tagovailoa has skipped most voluntary OTAs over the past month as team prepares for him to play on fifth-year-option
The Miami Dolphins will begin team drills on Monday as part of their voluntary organized team activities, and it’s unclear whether starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be a part of them.
Tagovailoa has been absent for the majority of voluntary offseason work since the Dolphins reported back April 15, sources close to the situation told CBS Sports. That is in stark contrast to his first four seasons in the league, when Tagovailoa was present for most of the voluntary work.
Sources believe his absence is related to his contract status. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, is currently set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option, worth $23.171 million. The Alabama alumnus has hoped for a long-term contract extension with the Dolphins, but one has not materialized to date.
The going rate for today’s 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 in frigid Arrowhead. His 14 interceptions were tied for fourth-most in the league with Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence.
“Like we said, we wouldn’t talk throughout the season in terms of contract stuff, but we’ve stayed in touch with his agent and had good conversations throughout the year,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters in January. “We never talk about money or anything, just good conversations about where he is and the relationship with (head coach) Mike (McDaniel) and the team here and everything he’s done. So the goal is to have him here long-term playing at a high level. That’s always the goal and we’ll continue to communicate with him through the offseason here.”