Latest Report on Tua Contract Negotiations Points Out Issues

An ESPN report suggests the Dolphins are not going to offer Tua Tagovailoa a contract on par with those signed by fellow quarterbacks Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence.

Jun 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) speaks to reporters during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The latest report involving the contract negotiations between the Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were less than encouraging when it comes to an agreement between the two sides.

On an ESPN's "NFL Live" segment, reporter Jeff Darlington said that the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are not close in their negotiations on a contract extension.

The Dolphins, Darlington reported, are not willing to offer Tagovailoa a contract similar to what Jared Goff received from the Detroit Lions or the deal that Trevor Lawrence recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

ESPN NFL Live segment on Tua and a possible ew contract. @JeffDarlington reporting Miami isn’t offering him a “market contract “ and he is scaling back some of his optimism a deal gets done. pic.twitter.com/TeSJIVRg0V

— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) June 25, 2024

"Right now, the Dolphins are not offering the contract that is the market value," Darlington said.. "We're not to a panic point just yet. I just think my optimism earlier has to be slightly scaled back at this point. … Based on my conversations, they are not in the Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence ballpark.”

The Dolphins front office has been consistent about saying they want to strike a deal with Tagovailoa prior to the start of the season. But if the Dolphins do not offer market value, it will be a stumbling block.

"I've been long optimistic about Tua Tagovailoa getting this deal done, Darlington said. "I'm not saying that it won't get done, because these things generally happen. But right now, there's five words that are looming over this contract negotiation. And they are the words that came out of Tua's mouth: 'The market is the market.'''

Those words were said after Goff signed his deal with the Lions, and before Lawrence signed his deal with the Jaguars.

Tagovailoa made that statement to reporters at the team's mandatory minicamp earlier this month, when it appeared as though the negotiations were not progressing to Tagovailoa's satisfaction.

“I’ll tell you one thing; the market is the market. If we didn’t have a market, then none of that would matter. It would just be an organizational thing. It didn’t matter if that guy got paid that because it’s up to the organization. So that’s what I would say – the market is the market. That’s it.”

Darlington predicted that the Green Bay Packers will probably sign quarterback Jordan Love to an extension before Tagovailoa and the Dolphins reach a deal. Should Love sign before Tagovailoa, and get Goff-type money, Darlington said that would further complicate matters between Tagovailoa and the Dolphins.

"The key word is that they are negotiations, we all know, we have all been through them," Darlington said. " They can change in a minute."