The Miami Dolphins have opted to pick up the fifth-year option on Tua Tagovailoa’s contract to end any rumours linking the franchise with Lamar Jackson or Tom Brady.
Tagovailoa - the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft - enjoyed the best year of his career to date last season, leading the league in passer rating (105.5) to become the first Dolphins quarterback to do so since the legendary Dan Marino back in 1984. However, the 25-year-old was limited to just 13 games as he struggled with concussions.
Tagovailoa was ruled out as the Dolphins exited the playoffs at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, who secured a 34-31 win over their AFC East rivals. Tagovailoa’s absence was crucially felt as third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson completed just 18 passes from 45 attempts.
The former Alabama quarterback is under contract for the 2023 season at a rate of $9.6million and Miami finally triggered his fifth-year option for 2024. This is usually followed by a long-term contract, but Tagovailoa’s injury history means such a deal is far from a certainty.
Tagovailoa is now guaranteed to make $23.2m in 2024 after the Dolphins opted to pick up the fifth-year option on Friday. It is perhaps the ultimate sign that the team don’t have any plans to pursue any lucrative and attractive quarterback options this offseason including Brady or Jackson - and it appears Tagovailoa will be their starter going forwards for the foreseeable future.
Many NFL fans and figures are concerned for Tagovailoa’s immediate health, with some even calling for him to retire after he suffered his third head injury of the season. Back in September, Tagovailoa was hospitalised due to a second head injury in successive games.
The concerning moment came as the 25-year-old suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals just days after taking a scary hit to the head against the Buffalo Bills. As he laid on the pitch against the Bengals, Tagovailoa’s fingers displayed the ‘fencing response’ which traditionally signifies a serious neurological issue.
Shortly afterwards, the NFL and NFLPA announced they would review the concussion protocol with a new rule implemented while the consultant who cleared Tagovailoa following a check against the Bills was fired.
Dr Bennet Omalu - the first doctor to discover and publish findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American Football players - urged Tagovailoa to retire immediately. Tagovailoa entered the concussion protocol once more after falling 26-20 to the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day as he appeared to bounce his head off the turf in the second half. He subsequently threw three interceptions in the loss.
