Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, so he moved into the offseason with questions about whether he’ll sign a long-term extension with the team.
No deal has been struck yet, but head coach Mike McDaniel expressed optimism about where things are headed on Tuesday. McDaniel said at a press conference that he is “very encouraged” about how talks with Tagovailoa are progressing.
“Both his representation and our organization are hard at work,” McDaniel said, via Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald. “Those timelines are impossible to predict. My main concern this offseason has been communicating what Tua needs from his head coach and his offensive coaching staff, which is what things can we identify to continue the progression of your game the same way that we have since Day One.”
Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards last season and also set a career high in touchdowns while playing in every game for the first time in his NFL career, which would help explain why McDaniel said that his belief in the quarterback is “stronger than it was the first day I met him.” If the Dolphins’ belief as an organization is just as strong, Tagovailoa will likely get his contract extension nailed down in the near future.