Mike McDaniel speaks on status of contract extension talks with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Like it or not, the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa appear to be headed towards another long-term partnership. Mike McDaniel spoke with the media on Tuesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and the question came up about the status of contract extension talks with Tagovailoa. McDaniel added, "I think one of the cool things […]
Like it or not, the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa appear to be headed towards another long-term partnership.
Mike McDaniel spoke with the media on Tuesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and the question came up about the status of contract extension talks with Tagovailoa.
McDaniel added, "I think one of the cool things in this organization is how communicative and how well I work with Chris Grier, as well as how I can separate what my job is and what his job is and how we move forward.
"I'm very encouraged. Both Tua's representation and our organization [are] hard at work. Those timelines are impossible to predict. My main concern this offseason has been communicating what Tua needs from his head coach and his offensive coaching staff which is 'what things can we identify to continue the progression of your game the same way we have since day one?' My belief has always been strong from day one in Tua. It's stronger that it was the first day I met him, and that's because of that relationship where I'm focused, which is continuing to provide the coaching so he can continue to evolve his game as he has since the second that I started talking to him."
The Dolphins used their fifth-year option on Tagovailoa last March, which locked him in for the 2024 season. Tagovailoa rewarded that faith with a performance that earned him a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his career. Tagovailoa finished with 4624 yards passing, which led the NFL, along with a career-best 69.3 completion percentage.
However, the Dolphins' struggles against the elite teams of the NFL have put Tagovailoa in the spotlight for some fans and members of the media as far as the blame. They view Tagovailoa as needing perfect conditions in order to succeed. While that's perhaps not totally fair, Tagovailoa isn't going to escape many pass rushers nor create as many big plays through improvisation as some other quarterbacks.
However, Miami's offensive line was a mess in 2023, with all five starters and multiple key reserves missing time with injury. With any better fortune on the injury front in 2024, the story could be significantly different as far as the narrative on Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins appear to be ready to bank their future on the left arm of #1. It sounds like we could find out soon enough how much they're willing to invest in that belief.
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