This week left space for a lot of rumors after the Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson. The Miami Dolphins were one of the potential landing spots for all the health concerns around Tua Tagovailoa. Now their intentions seem to be clearer.
The quarterback market is going to drive the narrative of the offseason. With the NFL free agency beginning on Tuesday, there are a lot of teams looking for their signal-caller. New Orleans Saints already signed former Las Vegas Raiders Derek Carr, while the New York Jets will try to trade for Aaron Rodgers.
Other franchises are going to wait for the draft to pick players like Bryce Young who could change their future. Miami was in the middle of those talks despite having Tagovailoa on their roster because of all the concussions he had last season, so the Dolphins front office could have been looking for more certainty.
Will Tua Tagovailoa stay with the Miami Dolphins?
The 2020 NFL Draft gave the league at least three franchise quarterbacks. Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals, Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles all appear close to receiving massive contract extensions. But there was a big question mark on the former Alabama QB.
Miami decided to pick up the fifth-year option on Tagovailoa’s contract despite the deadline being in May. Although this doesn’t mean they are committed long-term, it adds some stability for next season. The Dolphins were surely influenced by what the New York Giants went through with Daniel Jones when they declined their option. Tua will have a fully guaranteed contract for 2024 worth 23.4 million.
