Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has largely been absent from the team’s voluntary offseason work with the two sides still working on a contract extension, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
“Tagovailoa has been absent for the large majority of voluntary offseason work since the Dolphins reported back April 15, sources close to the situation told CBS Sports,” Jones wrote. “That is in stark contrast to his first four seasons in the league, when Tagovailoa was present for most of the voluntary work.
“Sources believe his absence is related to his contract status.”
Tagovailoa is in the final season of his contract after the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option. The former No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had a terrific season in the 2023 campaign, but he’s yet to receive a long-term deal from Miami.
“Like many players before him, Tagovailoa is seemingly using his absence from voluntary work as leverage for a new deal,” Jones wrote. “He did show up to the facilities early during offseason work, and the team captured him on the field on April 19. But how long he’s willing to stay away is unclear. Should this stretch into training camp, Tagovailoa would be subject to a $40,000 fine for every day he’s absent, but a league source indicated the Dolphins could reduce the fine or waive it entirely.”
It’s possible there is some concern with giving Tagovailoa massive money in a new deal because of his injury history. During the 2022 season, he missed several games, including Miami’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, due to head injuries.
The Dolphins have been much better the last two seasons when Tagovailoa is under center, nearly winning the AFC East title last season, but his injury history could be a hold-up when it comes to committing to him for the long haul. He’s also suffered a rib injury in the NFL, and he had a season-ending hip injury when he was in college at the University of Alabama.
“An argument for paying Tagovailoa would be to reduce his current cap hit so Miami could have more room to add pieces and become a championship contender,” Jones wrote.
Last season, Tagovailoa had arguably his best showing as a professional, throwing for an NFL-best 4,624 yards in the regular season. He completed a career-high 69.3 percent of his passes and threw for 29 touchdowns (also the best mark of his career).
He didn’t play as well in the first round of the playoffs in frigid temperatures, completing just 20 of his 39 pass attempts for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Dolphins lost to the Kansas City Chiefs – the eventual Super Bowl champions – 26-7 in that game.
For now, Tagovailoa is set to make over $23 million in the 2024 season on his fifth-year option. It’ll be interesting to see if he can come to an agreement on a deal with the Dolphins this offseason before team activities begin to really ramp up later this summer.
