Despite what was a largely successful season for Tua Tagovailoa in 2022, there were still lingering questions regarding his long-term durability which caused some concern for the front office on whether a long-term commitment made sense.
But on Friday the common first step towards a long-term deal was as it was reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that the Dolphins had officially picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option.
The #Dolphins have informed QB Tua Tagovailoa they’re picking up his fifth-year option, sources say. Once executed, Tagovailoa will be guaranteed $23.2 million for the 2024 season.
Another indication Miami is confident Tagovailoa will be their quarterback for a long time. pic.twitter.com/lZtSQxrbgQ
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 10, 2023
The option will now keep Tagovailoa in Miami through the 2024 season where he will be due to earn $23.2 million.
Last week during the NFL combine, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke on the lingering decision to pick up the option and that all signs were pointing to him remaining the quarterback for years to come.
“We’re still having those conversations because there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Grier said. “And I think now that we’re finally finishing up the coaching staff, we’ll focus on some of these answers, and coming together with Mike (McDaniel) and I, we’ll sit and talk about it as well with (owner) Mr. (Stephen) Ross and (senior vice president) Brandon Shore, so we’ll go through it, and we’ll make our decision then.
“But all expectations, he’s our quarterback and he’s our quarterback here to be successful for a long time.”
Last year Tagovailoa had a breakout season with the Dolphins throwing for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and completing 64.8% of his passes in 13 games. His season was cut short after he entered the concussion protocol for the second time, but the franchise appears to be confident in his ability to recover and move forward healthy.
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