Nick Wright implies Miami Dolphins would be shooting themselves in foot by paying Tua Tagovailoa like star

The Miami Dolphins are facing a major decision on what kind of contract they are willing to offer quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and NFL observer Nick Wright implied the team would be making a mistake by paying the quarterback like one of the best in the game.

Tagovailoa is under contract through the 2024 NFL season after the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option more than a year ago. He has been eligible for a contract extension, but the sides did not come to an agreement on a long-term deal prior to last season.

In February, a report emerged indicating that Tagovailoa will ultimately land a new deal worth more than $50 million per season. The 26-year-old and Miami general manager Chris Grier in the past have expressed optimism that the quarterback will be with the Dolphins for the long term.

NFL teams that have a franchise quarterback usually try to extend that player before he enters his fifth NFL season, as Tagovailoa will be doing this year. The University of Alabama product was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Two other quarterbacks taken with high picks in that draft – Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1 overall and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 6 overall – have already signed lucrative new contracts. Last offseason, Burrow secured a five-year, $275 million deal after Herbert got a five-year, $262.5 million extension from the Chargers.

In part, Wright’s point is likely that paying a quarterback such a significant sum can create problems constructing the rest of the roster because of salary cap allocation.

One NFL agent said the Dolphins should have prioritized a contract for Christian Wilkins before getting to one for Tagovailoa. The standout defensive tackle wound up signing with the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent this offseason.

The Dolphins conceivably could roll the dice, let Tagovailoa play out the season and become a free agent and decide whether to sign him after that. But that could wind up being more costly – on many levels – than taking care of it sooner rather than later.