Ex-Packers QB suggests Michael Penix Jr or Bo Nix could emerge as top draft pick for Dolphins - "Tua Tagovailoa is on final year of his contract"
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins started the 2023 season in an impressive manner, but the team faltered midway through the season for the second straight year. While 2022 wasn't really their fault, especially with the concussions suffered by the quarterback, his individual level was awful in the second half of last season.
While there's no doubt that he's an NFL-level quarterback, doubts (rightly) started to creep in about whether he's the right guy to lead the Miami Dolphins to a ring. They still haven't signed him to a contract extension, unlike the Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow and the Los Angeles Chargers with Justin Herbert.
Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert, who's best known for his time with the Green Bay Packers and is now a famous content creator about the league, spoke about the Dolphins' plans for the upcoming draft - and he also thinks that, if the right opportunity arrives, Miami will pull the plug on a new quarterback:
The Tua Tagovailoa problem: Dolphins have a major decision to make with the quarterback
Tua is in the final year of his rookie contract, and this be the most important decision of Miami's offseason - even more than the draft. In his first four seasons, he showed plenty of flashes, however, he was unable to show the most important thing to a quarterback: consistency.
There's no point in making great throws when the offense is running well, but disappearing when he needs to take on the burden. In the last three games of the 2023 season, Tua Tagovailoa was awful. The Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs dominated Miami's team, and the quarterback was unable to respond.
They lost a division title that seemed to be already won, and showed no reaction in the playoff game - it seemed like a regular season game. There's no time, system or injury that can serve as an excuse, such as it happened in 2022.
The Dolphins can't just give up on Tua Tagovailoa as they don't have better options at the moment; at the same time, they can't simply make him the highest-paid new quarterback in the league, even with the major salary cap increase that NFL teams weren't expecting.
Miami has a clear risk on its hands: compromising the salary cap without security in the most important position of the game. Don't be shocked by the outcome, whatever it is.