Dolphins rumor: Tua Tagovailoa contract offer may not be as high as other top QBs

The contract extension talks between Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have been quietly ongoing but a new rumor could shed some light.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Dolphins currently offering less money than both Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert which would likely place him below the $55 million range.

FinsXtra, a social media account on X has posted that Fowler said, "This is a deal that certainly will be at the high caliber of money, but might not be in the $55 million range." If this is accurate, could this be the hold-up of an extension announcement?

Tua has previously said he will 100% attend all workouts this off-season and will not hold out. He is currently scheduled to play under the 5th year option that will pay him roughly $24 million. At his recent charity event in Miami, Tua told the media that Miami is his home and he plans on staying here with the Dolphins for a very long time.

A contract for Tua clearly won't be an easy one to figure out. While Tua showed he could turn in an incredible season, he is still only two years removed from the concussions that sidelined him in 2022. 2023 was much better and for most of the season, he was a top NFL MVP candidate.

Tua's other problem is he hasn't won any big games against top teams in the league. Miami struggled to beat teams over .500 last year and Tua's record against the Bills is not good. The Dolphins haven't won an AFC East division title in 2008 and have finished 2nd in the division the last two seasons under Mike McDaniel with Tua at the helm.

The Dolphins have made it clear they want Tua under center for the future but at what cost is the question.

A contract between Tua and the Dolphins should happen sometime after the draft and before training camp starts. Miami will get $18 million in cap space come June 1st from the Xavien Howard release. A new deal will also trim money from the current $24 million cap hit.