Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is taking a lot of heat for his shoddy performance in his team’s Wild Card Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. His questionable outing has some wondering whether or not he is actually the Dolphins’ answer at quarterback long term.
Well, Miami general manager Chris Grier assuaged those doubts on Monday.
“The goal is to have him here long-term and playing at a high level,” Grier said, via Daniel Oyefusi of The Miami Herald. “So that’s always the goal and we’ll continue and we’ll communicate with him throughout the offseason.”
Tagovailoa is getting set to enter the fifth year of his rookie deal after the Dolphins exercised his option. He is slated to earn $23.171 million in 2024.
But will Grier and Miami’s front office approach Tagovailoa with a contract extension this offseason? Or, will they allow him to play out the final year of his current deal and take their chances with him in free agency next year?
Of course, the franchise tag would always be in play next offseason should the Dolphins fail to reach a long-term pact with Tagovailoa, but typically, teams would prefer to avoid those scenarios.
From a numbers perspective, signing Tagovailoa to an extension would seem like a no brainer. After all, he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards to go along with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. He also completed 69.3 percent of his passes while posting a passer rating of 101.1 en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.
However, some feel that Tagovailoa is merely a product of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and the fact that his production declined late in the year when Hill and Waddle were both dealing with injuries is evidence that those concerns may be valid. Plus, Tagovailoa went just 20-for-39 with 199 yards, a touchdown and a pick in the Dolphins’ loss to the Chiefs this past Saturday.
That being said, it’s hard to find a franchise quarterback in this league, and at the very least, Tua Tagovailoa has shown that he can perform at a relatively high level, whether or not it’s because of the supporting talent around him.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
