Dolphins GM addresses the future of QB Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier held his end-of-season news conference on Monday and strongly indicated he won't be trading starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following this past Saturday's 26-7 wild-card playoff loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. 

"The goal is to have him here long-term and playing at a high level," Grier said about Tagovailoa, as shared by Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald. "That’s always the goal and we’ll continue to communicate with him through the offseason here."

The Dolphins previously secured Tagovailoa's rights for 2024 via the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract amid understandable concerns related to the multiple concussions he suffered last season. 

The 25-year-old ultimately remained healthy enough to start every game for the ongoing campaign, but there remain plenty of questions about whether he can guide the club to wins on the NFL's biggest stages. 

ESPN stats show that Tagovailoa led the league for the 2023-24 regular season with 4,624 total passing yards. He was ranked 10th among qualified players with a 60.7 adjusted QBR, fifth with a 101.1 passer rating and tied for fifth with 29 passing touchdowns. 

However, ESPN NFL analyst Bill Barnwell mentioned on Monday that this season's edition of the Dolphins went 1-6 and averaged 15.1 offensive points per game versus opponents with winning records. In Saturday's must-win contest at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Tagovailoa completed 20-of-39 pass attempts for 199 yards with one touchdown and an interception. 

Per David Lang of WPLG Local 10 out of Miami, Grier added on Monday that the Dolphins have "stayed in touch with (Tagovailoa's) agent" and "had good conversations throughout the year" regarding a potential long-term agreement. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested Grier could see if Tagovailoa's camp would accept "a good but not great multi-year offer" this offseason. 

Miami can use the franchise tag to retain Tagovailoa's rights for 2025, if necessary.