Chris Grier continues to stay cemented in his contract talks with Tua Tagovailoa, and should another quarterback receive a deal this offseason, the price for Tua will only climb. The Miami Dolphins have been in this situation before.
Tagovailoa isn't the best quarterback in the NFL, but when it comes to being paid, being the best never equates to being the highest earner. Joe Burrow is the highest-paid QB and aside from a Super Bowl trip, he hasn't done much to warrant that level of money. Trevor Lawrence has done even less in his NFL career and is now being paid the same. Reports and rumors are circulating that Jordan Love could be next and his contract could be higher. The longer Grier waits, the higher that price will go.
The Dolphins have tried to hold their ground throughout the years under Grier and it hasn't always worked out well. These negotiations should remind everyone of how frustrating it can be to watch the Miami GM try and figure things out.
8. Christian Wilkins
Christian Wilkins could have been signed for around $80 million in 2022 when his rookie contract ended. Grier and the Dolphins wanted more sacks from him and opted to play him on the fifth-year option. Wilkins bet on himself and, in 2024, signed a massive $110 million contract.
Miami may not have been able to fit Wilkins into their cap structure at $80 million, but it was reported they were offering that number prior to Wilkins leaving in free agency. If that is accurate, Wilkins could have been a Dolphins player for the next four or five years at a rate that might have been considered a bargain. If only Grier hadn't dug into his own conviction ahead of the 2023 season.
7. Jaylen Waddle
Jaylen Waddle is an example of waiting a tad too long. Yes, Grier got him under contract, but his waiting likely cost the team a few million in change. Waddle should have been signed and extended before De'Vonta Smith in Philadelphia. As soon as Smith did sign his contract, Waddle should have been inked. Grier waited and the price came in a bit higher after the Amon-Ra St. Brown extension. In other words, the market was reset.
6. Byron Jones
Talk about misreading the market. Byron Jones was signed to a huge contract and he became the highest-paid player on the roster. Grier can't be faulted for giving out a massive deal to a player considered to be one of the better ones at his position, but the problem for Grier was he had one of the top five CBs already on his roster and never gave it a thought that he would be paying someone more.
Jones arrived in Miami, and that ticked off Xavien Howard, who felt disrespected by the contract. Howard would stage a hold-in with an injury to get more money. Grier would acquiesce and give Howard more guaranteed money to make him happy. In the end, Jones was a mistake and was gone two years later, and Howard followed a year after that. Both players were released with June 1 designations so Grier could create salary relief. Neither contract was good.
5. DeVante Parker
In December of 2019, the Dolphins gave DeVante Parker a three-year extension. At the time, Parker was in the middle of his best season. He would finish the year with 1,202 yards, nine touchdowns, and 72 receptions. He also appeared in more games that season than any other previously, 14. The problem is that he wouldn't appear in that many games again.
In 2020 he would play in only 14 games and then 10. Not quite two years after signing his contract, Parker was traded to the Patriots. This is something that could repeat itself in 2024. Grier gave Austin Jackson a contract extension during last season despite previously not being able to stay healthy.
4. Robert Hunt
It was reported that the Dolphins reached out to extend Robert Hunt in 2023. When Hunt turned down the offer, Grier instead extended Jackson. Hunt would bet on himself and sign a deal worth up to $100 million with Carolina.
It isn't clear what Grier was offering, but reports indicated it was far less than Hunt received and may have fallen closer to what Jackson received. Not having Hunt around this season is brutal and it's going to leave a massive hole on the offensive line. Let's hope others are able to step up, but this was a rough look for Grier.
3. Terron Armstead
Terron Armstead is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Miami went all in on the former Saints lineman and paid him well despite the fact his playing history has been inconsistent due to injuries throughout his career.
So far, Armstead's leadership on the field is worth the money paid, but he has yet to be available late in the season and tends to miss games. To be fair to Grier, he didn't have many options in free agency and would have had to pay more for less quality.
2. Will Fuller
If there is a bigger bust for Grier or a bigger mistake, we would love to know who it is. Will Fuller was horrible. He signed a one-year deal worth nearly $11 million and only played in two games. He rubbed Brian Flores the wrong way and was immediately in his doghouse.
Fuller's career was over halfway through the season. This was a move that some people were excited about, while others couldn't believe what he was thinking. We can now look back on things and say it was a terrible mistake from Grier.
1. Tua Tagovailoa
You could have probably guessed we were going to bring Tagovailoa back up again. This offseason has been a total nightmare for Grier in trying to get things done with his Pro Bowl signal-caller. To make matters worse, it's really looking like Love is about to get a deal done soon with Green Bay.
If that happens, the price for Tagovailoa is going to go up again. We've already seen that happen with Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence landing their extensions. What is Grier waiting for? Tagovailoa is not happy and while he will probably report to camp, he will probably stay off the field until things get finalized. It's up in the air if that will actually happen or not, but the way Grier has handled this throughout the offseason has been a mess.