The Miami Dolphins have repeatedly said they consider Tua Tagovailoa as their quarterback of the future. And now they’ve put their money where their mouth is, picking up a fifth-year option on Tagovailoa’s rookie contract.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the fifth-year option guarantees Tagovailoa a salary of $23.2 million in the 2024 season.
There were a lot of rumors about Tagovailoa’s future in recent months and whether Miami actually believes he is the right guy to lead the franchise. While he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league when on the field in 2022, there were questions about his ability to stay healthy. He was in concussion protocol multiple times and missed four games in the regular season and the Dolphins’ wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills.
Still, the Dolphins reportedly believe the concussions were just unfortunate circumstances and were encouraged by Tagovailoa’s progress in his third year as a pro. Despite playing only 13 games, he threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Despite taking Tua Tagovailoa with the No.5 pick in 2020, the Dolphins have flirted with a number of veteran quarterbacks since then. Previous coach Brian Flores preferred the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick instead of Alabama product, while there were also rumors Tom Brady might join the franchise at some point. But after Mike McDaniel took over as head coach ahead of the 2022 season, he made it clear he believes in Tagovailoa and has done nothing to show differently since then.
