Dolphins Will ‘Protect Themselves’ in Tua Tagovailoa’s Contract: Report

The Miami Dolphins have a tough decision to make with Tua Tagovailoa’s future contract. Tagovailoa was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft and has dealt with adversity in his young career, mostly due to injuries. According to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, a source said the Dolphins will attach bonuses to “protect themselves” in case he deals with injuries again.

“Sources say the Dolphins probably will attach bonuses to their offer that protect themselves, while rewarding Tagovailoa for his continued durability.” Louis-Jacques wrote on May 16.

An NFL contract adviser added that signing bonuses, workout bonuses, and other bonuses are something the Dolphins “are going to want to put” in his contract.

“Signing bonus, base salary, workout bonus, per game roster bonuses — that’s something [the Dolphins are] going to want to put in the contract,” the contract adviser said. “Per-game roster bonus is high because of his health — but the agent side will balk at it.”

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The Miami Dolphins Have Started 25 Different Quarterback Since Dan Marino

The Miami Dolphins haven’t found the success the franchise once did over the past 20-plus seasons. Since the 1999 season when Dan Marino retired, the Dolphins have used 25 different quarterbacks.

Louis-Jacques wrote that general manager Chris Grier has to balance the risk of losing Tagovailoa and paying him.

“As negotiations between Tagovailoa and the Dolphins intensify this offseason, Grier has to balance the rising cost of keeping a franchise quarterback against the harsh reality of not having one.

“Miami has started 25 different quarterbacks since Hall of Famer Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season,” Louis-Jacques wrote. “The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000, and prior to the 2022 campaign — Tua’s first with head coach Mike McDaniel — the Dolphins had not fielded a top-10 offense since 1995.”

During the 2023 season when Tagovailoa remained healthy, the Dolphins finished 11-6, their most wins since 2008 when they finished with 11 wins. However, it didn’t end in a Dolphins playoff win as they lost to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

While they lost in a disappointing fashion, the Dolphins’ injuries were certainly a factor. During the 2023-24 season, they scored the second most points and had more yards than any other offense in the NFL. That was in large part due to Tagovailoa throwing for a league-leading 4,624 yards.

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Chris Grier Said In February That He Wanted Tua Tagovailoa in Miami ‘Long Term’

Grier told reporters after the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that the goal is to have Tagovailoa here for the “long term,” according to Louis-Jacques.

“The goal is to have him here long term playing at a high level,” Grier said. “That’s always the goal, and we’ll continue to communicate with him through the offseason here. Like we’ve always said in the past, you guys know me, we don’t really talk in the media through all that stuff, so we’ll just keep all those talks internal and with his reps.”

His comment hasn’t been backed up by a contract yet, but it’s still relatively early in the offseason and the two could come to an agreement that makes sense for both sides.

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