Miami Dolphins expect QB Tua Tagovailoa back as starting quarterback in 2023

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins are still reeling Monday from the letdown of their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, but one thing is for certain heading into next season.

The Dolphins expect Tua Tagovailoa to be the team’s starting quarterback. And his pending contract situation will be addressed just as much as his health.

“With Tua, he’s our starting quarterback. … We fully expect him back next year 100 percent ready to go,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said on Monday, a day after Miami’s season ended with a 34-31 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

“He’s our starting quarterback, and he will be.”

Tagovailoa suffered two documented concussions and three hits to the back of his head on the field this season, causing him to miss five games, including Miami’s first playoff game since the 2016 season.

But Grier and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel remain encouraged about Tagovailoa from the feedback they have received from doctors and consultants monitoring him.

“I don’t think he’s any more prone than anyone else,” Grier said, when asked if there’s a fear Tagovailoa could suffer more concussions, based on his conversations with medical personnel.

“From everything we’ve been told, that is not a concern.”

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McDaniel also has several “ideas and thoughts” to improve Tagovailoa’s game, in hopes of avoiding situations that might result in him getting hurt.

As for Tagovailoa’s contract situation, he will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2023, earning around $4.7 million.

But a fifth-year option reserved for first-round picks is a possibility this offseason, which could put Miami on the hook for at least $22 million, according to OverTheCap.com.

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Typically, NFL players would love to have greater financial security with a contract extension. But Tagovailoa’s run of head injuries brings some natural apprehension from the Dolphins.

“I think everything is on the table for us,” Grier said when asked if the fifth-year option is something he’d consider.

The Dolphins enter the offseason, hoping the sting of their playoff loss to their heated AFC East rival doesn’t linger, and turns into lessons learned.

In Miami’s first playoff game in six seasons and just their third in 20 years, the Dolphins started a third-string rookie quarterback, with new starters at running back, left guard, right guard and right tackle on offense.

The Dolphins were down 17-0 early, rebounded to take a 24-20 lead in the third quarter, and their attempt to win the game fell short after a fourth-and-1 with 2:29 left resulted in a delay of game penalty.

“In the biggest moment, we weren’t able to execute,” McDaniel said, assuming the blame for the season-ending miscue. “I was really proud of the entire team for allowing us to be in that situation.”

The Dolphins started 8-3 this season after Tagovailoa returned from his first concussion suffered during a Thursday night game in Cincinnati on Sept. 29.

They went on to lose five straight games, including a Christmas Day game where Tagovailoa sustained his second concussion.

And they got the win they needed against the Jets to get a taste of the postseason.

Still, the Dolphins’ last playoff win was during the 2000 season.

“We finished where we were and got to the playoffs, and had a chance to win a playoff game against one of the best teams in football,” Grier said recapping the Dolphins’ season. “Kinda is what it is.”

Grier’s perspective comes from his early days grinding his teeth as a scout under Bill Parcells.

But one player Grier drafted has a more optimistic perspective on how the Dolphins will reflect on this season.

“This organization, we haven’t been in the playoffs in however many years and haven’t won a (playoff) game in even longer, so it’s definitely just getting a rep of it knowing what we can be, what it feels like, what it looks like, all that,” Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said.

“I’m already ready to fast forward to next year and already start training and doing things I need to do because I’m excited for what’s going to come for the years to come.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tua Tagovailoa expected back as Miami Dolphins starting quarterback