Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Still Without an Extension As Training Camp Arrives

Tua Tagovailoa remained without his coveted contract extension as the day Miami Dolphins veterans were scheduled to report to training camp arrived, and his already touchy situation now has an added element because of what happened in Green Bay.

Fellow 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love told the Packers’ representatives he would not practice until he got his own extension, as revealed by team GM Brian Gutekunst on Monday. This, of course, brings up the idea that maybe Tua will follow suit and tell the Dolphins he’s not practicing without a new deal.

Beyond being part of the same draft class, Love and Tagovailoa each is coming off a successful 2023 season, Tagovakoa leading the NFL in passing yards and earning his first Pro Bowl invitation, Love putting together a second-half run that was as good as that of any other QB in the NFL, if not better.

But there are clear differences at play here.

First is how each quarterback got to this point.

Tua is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option for a fully guaranteed $23 million in 2024, whereas Love is schedule to earn $13 million with another $9 possible in incentives after he signed a one-year extension last offseason instead of the Packers exercising his fifth-year option.

That move was made because Love barely played his first three seasons as the backup to Aaron Rodgers and kinda sorta needed to prove to the Packers he could be their quarterback of the future, which he answered pretty definitely with his 2023 performance.

The way the Dolphins have spoken about wanting Tua to be their quarterback of the future also suggests he has answered every question, except that while Love clearly was on the rise at the end of the 2023 season, the same can’t be said for Tua.

Yes, there were extenuating circumstances — namely injuries on offense — but the fact remains that Tua didn’t perform particularly well down the stretch last season, including the playoff loss at Kansas City.

Love, meanwhile, had 18 touchdown passes against only one interception in the final eight regular season games before he torched the Dallas Cowboys — in Dallas — in the first round of the playoffs in a 48-32 victory. The Dolphins, meanwhile, managed one touchdown when they defeated the Cowboys at home in Week 16 in their only victory against a playoff team last season.

Another factor involved is the negotiations in both situations, with the word “imminent” used when it comes to Love but not with Tua.

If it’s only a matter of days before Love gets his extension, there’s probably no harm in him sitting out a few practices.

It’s clearly a different situation here with Tua, where ESPN reporters Jeff Darlington, Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler all said in the last few days that the two sides were that close, with guaranteed money the biggest sticking point.

So would it really behoove Tua to play hardball here to get the deal he wants, or would that have the Dolphins focusing on getting Mike White to take over?

And while the idea of the Dolphins offense having success without Tua is preposterous to some, including tackle Terron Armstead based on his recent comments, the reality is that we just don’t know what White would do if given the opportunity. And we certainly could bring up the name Kurt Warner, who had zero credentials of significance in 1999 when he was thrust into the starting lineup of the St. Louis Rams after Trent Green went down with a preseason knee injury and proceeded to help win a Super Bowl title that very season.

As we indicated earlier, the offense that Mike McDaniel runs has produced 100 passer ratings for quarterbacks on a consistent basis, and it just may be that the head coach himself understands — despite all the glowing public comments he’s made about Tua — that he can make it work with somebody else.

This is something that Tua will have to evaluate as he decides whether to hold in, accept the Dolphins’ latest offer or play on the fifth-year option.

But the idea that he’ll hold in just because Love is doing it doesn’t seem to wash.