Report: Miami Dolphins adamant about not paying Tua Tagovailoa Goff-esque contract

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is still searching for a contract extension this offseason, but it appears he may not get a deal that compares to those of some of his peers.

According to the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly, the Dolphins are “dug into their position” and don’t want to pay Tagovailoa on the same scale as Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Goff is currently on a major deal that pays him an average salary of over $53 million per season, according to Spotrac.

A former No. 1 overall pick, Goff led the Lions to the NFC Championship Game in the 2023 season and made a Super Bowl appearance during his time with the Los Angeles Rams. While Goff does have more playoff success than Tagovailoa, their numbers from the 2023 regular season aren’t too different.

Tagovailoa is currently under contract for the 2024 season since the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is coming off arguably his best season in the NFL in the 2023 campaign.

Not only did Tagovailoa lead the Dolphins to the playoffs for the second straight season, but he threw for an NFL-leading 4,624 yards and posted career-highs in completion percentage (69.3 percent) and touchdown passes (29).

Goff’s numbers are very comparable, as he threw for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 67.3 percent of his passes. Yet, the Dolphins apparently don’t believe that Tagovailoa warrants a similar deal to that of Goff.

After dealing with head injuries in the 2022 season that raised questions about his long-term future in the NFL, Tagovailoa appeared in all 17 games for the Dolphins during the 2023 regular season and their playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was reported recently by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington that Miami isn’t willing to pay Tagovailoa in the same ballpark as Goff and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence recently signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with Jacksonville that includes $200 million in guaranteed money, according to Spotrac. The former No. 1 pick hasn’t been dominant yet in his NFL career, but he did take the Jags to the playoffs in the 2022 season.

While the Dolphins certainly aren’t forced to pay Tagovailoa since he’s under contract in the 2024 season and they could franchise tag him next offseason, it certainly puts the young quarterback in a tough situation.

Since Tagovailoa has dealt with injury issues in the past, he may want to secure some sort of long-term deal in case another injury pops up during the 2024 season. For now, Dolphins fans will have to wait and see if the two sides can come to an agreement this offseason.