Tua Tagovailoa opted for Dolphins minicamp, Tuesday, rather than skipping the mandatory event as a hardball negotiating tactic.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Tagovailoa, who led the NFL in passing last season, was practicing at the Dolphins complex in Miami Gardens. So was Tyreek Hill, the receiver who wants another contract now that he’s no longer the highest paid in the NFL at his position.
However, it’s unclear how much Tagovailoa, the former Alabama star who is heading into his fifth season, will practice with the rest of his team.
“We’re going to have him out there and he’s going to be participating,” McDaniel told reporters before the start of minicamp. “But the depth, and really across the board what he’s doing, that will be more up to him than anything.”
Tagovailoa skipped a number of Dolphins OTAs
It should be noted that Tagovailoa has skipped other events. OTAs started more than a month ago. And according to reports out of Miami, the quarterback has opted not to participate in some of those sessions. It’s an intentional plan.
Currently, he’ll be paid on the fifth year of his rookie contract. The Dolphins picked up the fifth-year option last off season rather than giving him a longer-term extension. At the time, there were questions about his ability to stay healthy, given that his 2022 season had been marred by concussions.
The fifth-year option calls for him to earn $23.71 million this season. That’s a nice chunk to his checking account. However, it’s a paltry amount when compared to other NFL quarterbacks.
There are several quarterbacks to watch, including Tagovailoa, this off season when it comes to contracts. The others include Trevor Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love. Last summer also was a hot quarterback market. It’s when the likes of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts all agreed to new contracts worth $50 million-plus a year.
So far, Jared Goff is the only quarterback to sign a hefty new deal this off season. Baker Mayfield did sign an extension with the Bucs, but he’s not in the $50 million QB club.
Will Hill get more money now that 4 receivers passed him?
Meanwhile, the Dolphins also need to deal with Hill, who had been the highest-paid receiver and first to hit $30 million, headed into the off season. However, he’s been passed by several wideouts. Just this week, the Vikings agreed to give Justin Jefferson a four-year $140 million contract.
This off-season, A.J. Brown (Eagles) landed a $32 million/year deal, while Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) got $30 million. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Brandon Auyik (49ers) are demanding a big deal. The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins. He’s not participating in team activities until he receives a more lucrative contract.
So the Dolphins front office will continue to be busy through this off season dealing with Tagovailoa and Hill. They already extended Jaylen Waddle for three years and $76 million. And he’s WR2.
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