4 options for the Dolphins should Tua Tagovailoa not get a contract extension

When the Miami Dolphins start training camp later this month, Tua Tagovailoa will be on the field. The question is whether or not he will have a new contract or if he will be on the field riding a bike instead of practicing.

If a deal is not reached by camp, Miami may not have Tua during team sessions and if the season starts without a new deal, Grier's options are not great. Here are four of the less-than-ideal options for Grier and the Dolphins at the position:

Option 1: Franchise tag

The franchise tag makes the most sense for the Dolphins and for Tagovailoa's camp. He will get paid nearly $45 million next season under the tag and that is cheaper than Miami would pay him next year on an extension. The question is would he sign the extension or call it a season and tell Grier to stick it?

Tagging Tagovailoa may be good for both sides, but neither side truly wants to see it happen. It would tie up Tua with more questions beyond 2025, and honestly, Grier would end up paying a lot more in 2026 for a new contract than he would if he had just done the deal now.

Option 2: NFL Draft

So much can happen between now and the 2025 NFL Draft, but Grier may not have any other options if he is left without a quarterback. The favorite, for now, is Carson Beck of Georgia, but the Dolphins won't draft nearly high enough to take him. They could take Shedeur Sanders, but no one wants his father around to deal with.

The draft is not going to provide the Dolphins a quarterback in 2025 unless they take a flyer on a Day 2-3 prospect.

Option 3: Free agency

The options for Grier are not great. In fact, the only player that looks to be on the road to free agency is Dak Prescott, but the Dolphins do not want to enter negotiations with his camp. The Cowboys don't want to now. Prescott is going to break a team's cap space and probably their locker room as well. He hasn't truly shown NFL-level consistency on the field. Jordan Love will be a free agent next year, but that is only on paper. Love will likely get a new deal done this year, perhaps even before Tua gets his.

Beyond those two, Miami's options are Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Drew Lock. Of course, Tagovailoa would also be a free agent and the market would give him exactly what he is looking for.

Option 4: Trade

It's nearly impossible to define or determine a trade value for a quarterback. The Atlanta Falcons made a big move for Kirk Cousins and could be looking to trade him after this season. They turned around and drafted his replacement in Round 1 last April.

Cousins is really the only starting quality franchise QB that could be on the trade market next year and that is hardly someone to get excited about.