The Miami Dolphins were in a bad situation with Tua Tagovailoa only an offseason ago. Pay him or let him test the market.
It's hard to believe the Dolphins are only one year into the Tagovailoa extension and now heading into the second season of that deal. Tua got his new contract only days into the start of the 2024 training camp.
His deal? Four years for $212 million with an average of $53.1 million per season. The reward? Six missed games, four due to another concussion.
Tagovailoa has been the hottest topic of debate between Dolphins fans on social media since he was drafted. Some believe him to be great, most believe him to be the opposite.
Over on FoxSports.com, Henry McKenna recently took a look at the top-paid quarterbacks in the league and listed each with a designation. It is no surprise that he considers Tagovailoa overpaid; most Dolphins fans would absolutely agree. He also believes that Tagovailoa is as good as he is going to be.
"It’s likely Tua won’t get better as a QB. He’ll simply stay at this plateau."
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is one of the highest-paid QBs, but is still widely considered overpaid
It is hard to argue with this outlook. Tagovailoa was at his best in 2023, and it wasn't good enough. His regression in 2024 was related to the head injury yet again. Even when he returned, he looked nothing like he did the previous year. It does seem as though Tagovailoa has reached his ceiling.
One thing, however, that McKenna pointed out was Tyreek Hill, and that is something that needs to be watched closely. As the author pointed out, the Dolphins and Hill are entering what could be a final season for Hill in Miami, which will impact Tagovailoa's play.
Tagovailoa is at his best when he doesn't have to think beyond the first three seconds of a play. He is at his best when the ball is leaving his hands within a two-second count. Tagovailoa is at his best when he is throwing the ball quickly to Hill.
Hill's speed favors Tagovailoa's best attribute, a quick release. Where Tagovailoa struggles is when he has to move around the pocket, buy time, and look for a tertiary target. At some point, he looks back for Hill. For as good as Jaylen Waddle is, he is not Tagovailoa's first look without the play being designed for him specifically.
In 2023, everything clicked for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa. That led to a big offseason decision regarding his contract. Pay him the going rate or let him go. Miami opted to keep him, but the injury to Hill in 2024 hindered the team. Tagovailoa's concussion kept him off the field for four games, and a hip injury late in the season shut him down early.
When both were on the field, defenses took Hill out of the game plan, and Tagovailoa struggled to stay at his 2023 level as a result. Those are facts, not remarks to make Tagovailoa look worse. McKenna points out that without Hill, Tagovailoa isn't an outstanding quarterback, and sadly, he hasn't shown that he can be without the speed of Hill.