The Miami Dolphins face a tough decision regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. And ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown crew covered some unexpected angles to that issue Sunday.
Tagovailoa will be on the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, and while several other QB peers from the 2020 draft class have already signed lucrative extensions, Tagovailoa has not. That has led to great speculation about his future.
In the wake of the Dolphins’ 26-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC Wild Card game Saturday, in which Tagovailoa did not play well, many critics are saying he is not the answer for Miami. That knee-jerk reaction ignores his incredible regular-season performance that included leading the NFL in passing yards.
The Sunday NFL Countdown show tackled the debate on Tagovailoa’s future in Miami Sunday with a lengthy and nuanced look at the issue.
“This is a team that has stood firmly behind Tua in the past, so you would have to think the two sides would try to figure out a way to try to get some sort of extension done this offseason,” Adam Schefter noted in a report, before host Samantha Ponder pitched the “What should the Dolphins do?” question to her colleagues.
“My biggest concern with Tua was not the concussion, but the hip injury coming out of college,” Rex Ryan said. “How is that hip injury — and here’s why I think there’s something to this. The man rushed for six first downs this season. It’s the extending plays. … That’s got to be a concern.”
“I think that’s got to be clear before they give this guy that kind of extension. … Because quite honestly there were some people in NFL circles who didn’t think he would play for a second contract.”
Alex Smith lauded Tagovailoa’s accomplishments, but said the NFL’s salary structure for quarterbacks is out of whack.
“This is really his first full year of playing a full season of football — he led the NFL in passing,” Smith said. “He did some great things. He’s got some characteristics, some anticipation, you just can’t coach.
“There used to be this middle-of-the-road contract for QBs. Certainly there was what the elite guys were making. Then there was certainly another tier underneath it that guys made. It seems to have vanished. If you’re a starter, you’re making $40 million plus.”
The ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown crew had a pretty nuanced discussion about Tua Tagovailoa, his 2023 season, and his future with the Miami Dolphins. https://t.co/4HBXBuKpVw pic.twitter.com/2aHc6l8bfa
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 14, 2024
Tedy Bruschi noted that Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes has set a tough standard for the type of quarterback every team now wants.
“We’re all watching Patrick Mahomes and we’re all watching what he can do with his arm, and all of a sudden, boom, he’s out for a 20-yard gain,” Bruschi said. “Can Tua do maybe half of that, if he improved himself physically and his quickness a little bit? I think that’s what Tua has to think about as a player.”
While the Countdown crew didn’t seem to reach a consensus on what the Dolphins should do with Tagovailoa, Randy Moss had no hesitation about the issue.
“Everything that this young man has went through last season, this offseason, and then come and put this season. … he’s earned (a new contract),” Moss said.
[Photo Credit: ESPN]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.