Mike McDaniel claims he's more convinced on Tua now than before he arrived

What could Tua's new deal look like

Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield are two free agent quarterbacks who could reset the quarterback market for Tagovailoa because Cousins, who earned $35 million last season, is expected to become a free agent if a deal can't be worked out with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hope to sign Mayfield to a multi-year deal, rewarding the sixth-year quarterback for leading the Buccaneers to the playoffs.

But Tagovailoa and his camp likely will push to use the framework of the new deals Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow signed last offseason.

Hurts, who was Tagovailoa's teammate at Alabama, signed a six-year deal that could be worth $255 million. Hurts has three years of options and roster bonus money, and you’ll find that most of this contract can become fully guaranteed based on his roster status.

Burrow received a seven-year, $275 million deal from the Bengals. That deal featured $146.5 million in guaranteed money and will pay Burrow $42.1 million over the deal's first four seasons.

Herbert received a seven-year deal that could worth $300 million, and $133.7 million of that contract was fully guaranteed. Herbert will make $44.5 million a year for the first three seasons, and $38.7 million if he plays out the first five years of that deal without getting it altered.

McDaniel gives Tua a vote of confidence

McDaniel continues to be one of Tagovailoa’s biggest advocates in the process.

“My belief has always been strong since Day 1 in Tua," McDaniel said. "It’s stronger than 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.”

Tagovailoa finished the 2022 season as the NFL’s top-rated passer, and last season he led the NFL in passing yards.

McDaniel has helped Tagovailoa improve from 29th in passer rating in his first two NFL seasons (2020-21) to second in his last two (2022-23).

During Tagovailoa’s run with McDaniel, the Dolphins have broken six team, and 12 individual records, and most of them have been on offense.

But the Dolphins offense struggled in the final month of the season, and the Dolphins lost three straight games, which included its second straight playoff loss.

“I think one of the best examples of taking control over your career is what Tua was able to do through training and being able to experience all the different things. I mean, shoot, experience a playoff game for the first time in his career. That was afforded to him because he was able to be leading the team week in week out,” McDaniel said. “These are things that weren't necessarily assumed he was capable of doing. But like most things that Tua has done in his career, he's recognized that and proved doubters wrong.”