Tua Tagovailoa: Dolphins are conducting contract negotiations at “fair market value” according to Adam Schefter

As the season approaches quickly, negotiations are still ongoing between Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins. The former Alabama Star made his desire for a new contract clear before minicamp, but no agreement was reached during the rest of the offseason program.

There are now even more questions about what Miami will offer after some major dominoes fell. The biggest came in Jacksonville, where Trevor Lawrence landed a new contract that connects him with Joe Burrow for the highest-paid quarterback in the league at $55 million annually.

According to ESPN Adam SchefterLawrence’s deal brought another consideration for the Dolphins. The goal is to pay Tagovailoa at market value. Now, he said, the franchise has to ask itself what that is.

“The Dolphins have made it very clear that they want to pay Tua Tagovailoa,” Schefter said Wednesday on “NFL Live.” “The question is, what is fair market value? And that’s a moving bar because a few weeks ago it would have been easy to argue, ‘Hey, we don’t know if he’s worth the money the Bengals are paying Joe Burrow,’ which is an average of $55 million a year. But then Trevor Lawrence comes along and gets an average of $55 million a year. When that happens, the market shifts.

“And so the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa have to figure out what the right value is for a quarterback of his skill level. Look, the Dolphins want to keep him. They’re expected to keep him. At some point they’re going to sign him. The question is, what is that amount?”

More on Tua Tagovailoa’s contract situation

The Dolphins have taken on Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option worth $23.2 million, according to Spotrac. That makes getting a contract extension even more urgent, as he will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. It’s also worth noting that he’s coming off a monster year in 2023.

Tagovailoa had the best year of his career in Miami, throwing for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns and making his first Pro Bowl. The Dolphins have proven to be the fastest team in the NFL with Tyreek Hill And Jaylen Waddle at the recipient together with Devon Achane And Raheem Mostert as running back and Tagoaviloa took command as quarterback.

But with the other 2020 draft candidates Burrow and Justin Herbert are tied to extensions, as well as Lawrence – the No. 1 pick in 2021 – Tagovailoa hopes for the same fate. He noted that it is “Business”, and the talk is sure to continue as training camp begins next month.