Tyreek Hill downplays Tua Tagovailoa's injury concerns amid QB's Dolphins contract standoff - "That's not valid"
Star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are currently in a dilemma over his contract. The two parties have yet to agree on a long-term deal heading into the training camp. But the Dolphins QB has Tyreek Hills' backing.
There has been an arguament made about Tua's health being a concern. The Dolphins quarterback suffered three concussions during the 2022 NFL season. Last year was the first time Tua played a complete NFL season without an injury.
Hill was a guest on ESPN's "Sportscenter" and spoke all things NFL and the Dolphins, including Tagovailoa's contract. He addressed the injury concern and said that it wasn't a valid arguement. [From 4:23]
"That is not valid, man,” Hill said "People gotta understand from Tua’s development and where he’s come from and where he is now, that should speak volumes to a lot of people."
Playing injury-free, Tua showed what he's capable of. The Dolphins quarterback led the league in passing yards 4,624. He threw for 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a passer rating of 101.1.
Hill continued, defending Tua by praising his preparation and his ability to get the Dolphins' playmakers involved.
"A lot of people say ‘Oh he has coach [Mike] McDaniel call the plays. Oh he has XYZ receivers or he got all these playmakers.’ But, at the end of the day, you still got to get those playmakers the ball, you feel me?"
"You got to be able to prepare each and every week with the same mindset, knowing that you got crazy defensive ends coming off the edge to try and take your head off, you feel me? There’s a lot that goes into it, man."
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill bats for Tua Tagovailoa to become one of NFL's highest paid QBs
This offseason, Tua Tagovailoa sat back and watched other quarterbacks receive massive paydays. Atlanta Falcons gave Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract, the Detroit Lions handed Jared Goff a four-year, $212 million deal and the Jacksonville jaguars gave Trevor Lawrence a five year, $275 million contract.
Speaking on the same show, Tyreek Hill said that he doesn't understand why people believe Tua should not deserve a contract extension. The Dolphins WR backed his QB to become one of NFL's highest-paid QBs. [From 4:59]
“For people to like sit here and try to discredit Tua and say he’s not deserving of a contract is wild to me,” Hill said. “A lot of guys on the team understand his value and understand that we need him."
Hill added:
"We need his leadership, we need the mindset that he brings into each and every week. It’s there. It’s like Terminator almost, man. I feel like he should be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.”
The Miami Dolphins are currently not offering a "market value" contract to Tua Tagovailoa. The Pro Bowler will hit the open market in 2025, if both parties fail to agree to a long-term deal.