The Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa certainly would like to come to an agreement on a new contract for the quarterback without any animosity, but as the sides continue to try to come to terms that satisfy both sides, they reportedly are using a possible franchise tag designation as leverage in the negotiations.
“Using the franchise tag to retain Tagovailoa in 2025 is an option, one that will cost Miami something in the neighborhood of $43 million in real salary, and cap space,” wrote Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. “That’s certainly doable for all parties, and is likely being used as negotiating leverage by both camps.”
Though they are trying to find an amicable solution, the sides have seen the leverage in these talks shift at times. Most recently, Tagovailoa seemed to gain a bit of an upper hand thanks to the mammoth new contract given to Trevor Lawrence by the Jacksonville Jaguars to their quarterback.
Looking at just statistics alone, Tagovailoa and Lawrence seem to have had very similar careers since arriving in the NFL, with one joining the Dolphins as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the other being selected by the Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Three other quarterbacks taken in the 2020 NFL Draft along with Tagovailoa have already landed their own lucrative contracts from the teams that selected them: Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 1 overall), Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5 overall) and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 53 overall). Those three and Lawrence are among the six NFL quarterbacks whose contracts have an average annual value of more than $50 million – including Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens – a group Tagovailoa presumably would like to join.
Yet, the Dolphins reportedly are hesitant to give Tagovailoa a contract similar to the ones landed by Goff and Lawrence.
The 26-year-old is about to play the 2024 NFL season under the fifth-year player option that the Dolphins picked up back in March of 2023. He will be paid $23.1 million this season, a far cry from those other quarterbacks and several more as well. In addition to possibly using the franchise tag for the 2025 season, the Dolphins could again use it for the 2026 campaign at a cost of $51.6 million.
Though that path would eventually get Tagovailoa to a much higher average annual value, a long-term deal likely would be the preferred outcome for both the player and the Dolphins.
