Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa addresses possible contract extension

New York Giants starter Daniel Jones, Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson and, most recently, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert landed noteworthy contracts after the 2022 season. 

Hurts, Jackson and Herbert all reset the market, and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is expected to soon better those agreements before the Kansas City Chiefs inevitably give Patrick Mahomes another raise. 

As for Tagovailoa, the Dolphins picked up the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract that guarantees him roughly $23.2M for 2024. Miami understandably hasn't gone beyond that commitment due to his worrisome injury history and the fact that he suffered a minimum of two reported concussions last season, alone. 

Tagovailoa noted last week he realizes he has to "make it through the entire season" to prove he's worthy of receiving a long-term deal from either the Dolphins or a different team. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old indicated he's currently at the club's mercy as it pertains to a potential extension. 

"I think regardless of what it is, if they wanted to do it now, if they wanted to wait, whatever," Tagovailoa explained. "I think for myself, I’m always a person that wants to prove to myself that I deserve whatever I get. So for me, I feel like this is something that I need to work for. It’s as plain and simple as that." 

The harsh truth is Tagovailoa may be one hit away from becoming a spectator for longer than a couple of weeks, and there's nothing he can do about such concerns until he shows he can regularly absorb hits and avoid the type of punishment that could endanger his career.

Considering all that occurred during the 2022 campaign, officials within the NFL and the Dolphins may feel they have to protect Tagovailoa from himself by Week 18 this coming January.