3 likely reasons the Dolphins haven't given Tua Tagovailoa his monster deal yet

Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have still not come to an agreement on a long-term deal, which has surprised a lot of people. What's taking so long? We're in voluntary OTAs and all anyone can talk about is Tagovailoa and his quest for an extension. Many people got themselves all worked up and stressed their brains coming up with anti-material, only for Tagovailoa to casually show up to OTAs like he was always going to do.

So, what's taking so long? The reasons listed aren't Earth-shattering, but getting our metaphorical cards on the table and talking about the hurdles that are still in place is interesting to talk about. Plus, it's still May, Unless a receiver pulls off a sweet one-handed catch at OTAs, there isn't that much to talk about.

The No. 1 reason that is holding up a long-term deal between Tagovailoa and the Dolphins is the driving force in all things; money. We know Tagovailoa is going to get a Brinks truck worth of dough, but is he going to get that top-five QB money or is he going to get a level below that? That really is the question in all this because at the end of the day, something should happen soon for the former first-rounder.

So, a deal is getting done at some point, right? It could be tomorrow, it could be in July. It doesn't really matter when it gets done to me. The interesting part to me is why hasn't it gotten done already. Let's get into it:

3. Tua Tagovailoa and his injury history will always follow him

Let's face it, last year was the first year of Tagovailoa's post-highschool career where he played every game. There was a conscious effort by Tua, directed by the Dolphins I would bet, that he needed to find ways to protect himself.

Tagovailoa bulked up to 235 pounds and he also embraced the discipline of jiu-jitsu. It helped immensely. We saw several times last year where he would perform barrel rolls when getting hit instead of spiking his skull against the ground. Because of these tactics, Tua was able to play every game.

However, that injury rap sheet is still there and you can understand the Dolphins having some doubt handing over a $210 million+ contract with around $75 million guaranteed to a guy who has shown a propensity to get injured. There's honestly nothing Tua can do about that right now. He can, however, start every game this coming season. Obviously, that would go a long way in dispelling the idea that he is always hurt.