Tua Tagovailoa Dolphins salary: How much will Miami QB earn in 2023 and 2024?
The Miami Dolphins and GM Chris Grier said they were committed long-term to Tua Tagovailoa during the week of the NFL Combine.
The Dolphins officially exercised their fifth-year option for the 2024 season. Tagovailoa will now be in Miami through 2024 and will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season.
Some wondered whether or not the Dolphins would pick up his fifth-year option due to health concerns and availability, but Miami is giving him another chance at proving that he is their long-term quarterback.
Tua became the first player from the 2020 draft to have their fifth-year option exercised. He is set to earn $23.1 million in 2024 on the fifth-year option and will be playing this season making $9.6 million.
Tua Tagovailoa may get a long-term extension next off-season
Tua Tagovailoa was the Dolphins' first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and was the third quarterback taken.
In his rookie season, Tagoviloa started nine games, going 6-3 as the the starting quarterback, where he threw for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for three touchdowns.
In 2021, he went 7-5 as the team's starter and improved his passer rating from 87-1 the season prior to 90.1
This past season, Tua led the Dolphins to a 8-5 record and an appearance in the post-season. He led the league with a passer rating of 105.5 while also leading the league in yards per throw (8.9) while setting career-highs in passing yards (3,548) and touchdowns (25).
On the field, he has shown that he is worthy of getting his fifth-year option picked up. The only concern with him is his injury history.
Are injuries a concern for Tua Tagovailoa's longevity?
While Tua has improved each season on the field, he had a brutal 2022 season experiencing injuries.
He suffered a back injury in Week 3 vs. the Buffalo Bills that many thought was a concussion.
He was cleared by the doctors to play the following week vs. the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. In that game, he suffered a serious concussion that knocked him out.
Tua missed a few games as a result of this injury. On Christmas Day vs. the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that ended his season.
Injuries, specifically concussions, are a real concern for Tua and that's something the Dolphins will have to monitor closely over the next two seasons.
Tua has been figuring out ways to avoid head injuries this off-season and has done so by practicing judo and BJJ.