Tua Tagovailoa expects to get new Dolphins deal in offseason،
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is coming off his career-best season in 2023, expects to sign a contract extension with the Miami Dolphins this offseason, he told reporters Friday.
Asked about his contract at the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Fla., where he was voted the AFC starter, Tagovailoa seemed confident in the likelihood of an extension.
“There was communication,” he told ESPN. “I think the problem right now is I'm just letting the team talk to my agent and let them sort this out.”
He also told Pro Football Network that he is thinking about signing an extension this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards this season with 4,624, while setting career highs with 29 touchdown passes and 17 games played – a goal he had devoted his entire offseason to. It was the first time he played a full season in his four-year NFL career.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel have long publicly supported Tagovailoa as the team's franchise quarterback and exercised his fifth-year option in 2023.
Grier hinted at the possibility of finalizing Tagovailoa's extension when speaking to the media following the Dolphins' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.
“The goal is to have him here long term and playing at a high level,” Grier said. “That's still the goal, and we'll continue to communicate with him in the offseason here. As we've always said in the past, you know me, we don't really talk in the media through all of this, so we're just going to keep all those discussions internal and with his representatives.”
The Dolphins are approximately $51 million over the salary cap entering the 2024 offseason with critical decisions to make on free agents Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt and Jerome Baker as well as expensive veterans Xavien Howard and Terron Armstead.
“We're not really concerned, right now, about where the situation is in March, salary cap wise,” Grier said. “I think [senior VP of football and business administration] Brandon Shore and [director of football administration and strategy] Max Napolitano, we had a lot of conversations. They gave us a lot of flexibility with multiple options to get creative, and so my hats off to them for their work and hard work.
“Mike, Brandon and I will have a lot of discussions. We will speak with [Dolphins owner] Steve [Ross] as we progress so far, and we'll try to keep as many players here as possible.”
