If Tua Tagovailoa demands Joe Burrow money, the Dolphins are in trouble

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

Just about every offseason, a quarterback breaks the record for contract value. That’s because just about every offseason, the salary cap goes up. So, yes, with the salary cap rising in 2024, some lucky QB is about to break some records off the field.

I just don’t think it should be Tua Tagovailoa.

He absolutely deserves to get paid. But a contract of that magnitude won’t work for anyone involved. Not for the Miami Dolphins, who are already projected to be $51 million over the salary cap. And not for Tagovailoa, who might find he needs the expensive supporting cast that’s currently around him.

During the preamble to the Super Bowl, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo suggested that Tagovailoa might ask for money in the range of Joe Burrow, whose contract has the largest average annual value in the NFL at $55 million per year.

“Sounds like both sides would like this to get done at some point in the spring — not hang over training camp or the regular season,” Garafolo said. “But there’s the matter of the business. And Tagovailoa set career highs in yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes. So, he can make a case to be at or above Joe Burrow’s $55 million a year, which is at the top of the market. So, it may not be so easy to get it done.”

If Tua asks for more money than Burrow, it might just be impossible to get a contract done.

The Dolphins need to back away from that situation as gracefully as possible. And they have to do so without triggering Tagovailoa’s backup-warning. These two parties have to work together for at least the 2024 season when the quarterback will be playing on his fifth-year option. If they don’t come to an extension this offseason, the regular season might get a little awkward and tense.

Because the truth is that Tua probably needs Miami to be successful. I don’t think he’s the kind of QB that many offenses can plug and get elite play.

The Dolphins…


Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/if-tua-tagovailoa-demands-joe-burrow-money-the-dolphins-are-in-trouble

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Publish date : 2024-02-16 20:42:58

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