The Miami Dolphins concluded the regular season with a top-five offense. They finished second in scoring, first in yards, second in yards per play, and first in throwing yards.
Miami had a bad playoff performance, losing 7-26 to Kansas City.
Following their playoff defeat, the team’s general manager told reporters that they will prioritize an extension for this offensive player.
The Miami Dolphins prioritize the extension of their starting quarterback.
General manager Chris Grier informed reporters on Monday that they aim to extend Tua Tagovailoa.
“We’ve stayed in touch with his agent, had good conversations throughout the year,” he said. “We never discussed money, just where he is. …The goal is to keep him here for a long time, playing at a good level. That is always the goal.
“We’ll contact with him over the offseason, and as we’ve always stated in the past, you know me, we don’t really talk to the public during that time. So we’ll keep the discussions internal and with his representatives.”
We’ll look at Tua Tagovailoa’s first four seasons and decide whether he merits an extension.
His rookie season:
Tua Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL draft.
Tua began the season as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s backup. Fitzpatrick was benched in favor of Tua during Week 6.
Tua started Weeks 8-11 but was benched in Week 11. He missed Week 12 because he jammed his thumb during practice.
Tua returned in Week 13 and started the remainder of the season before being benched again in Week 16. Miami needs to win Week 17 to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team fell against Buffalo 26-56.
Tua completed 186 of 290 pass attempts, for 1,814 yards. He finished 6-3 after throwing 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Miami’s offense was 15th in points, 22nd in yards, 22nd in yards per play, and 20th in throwing yardage.
The team’s top three receivers were DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, and Myles Gaskin.
His second season:
Tua was the starting quarterback. In Week 2, he was taken off the field after suffering a rib injury. He shattered numerous ribs and was put on injured reserve. He missed the next three games.
Tua returned to action in Week 6, starting the following three games. He missed Week 9 due to a minor fracture on the middle finger of his throwing hand.
He came off the bench in Week 10. After coming off the bench in Week 10, he became the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Miami was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 after a 3-34 loss at Tennessee.
Tua completed 263 of 388 pass attempts, for 2,653 yards. He finished 7-5 with 16 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.
Miami’s offense was 22nd in points, 25th in yards, 29th in yards per play, and 17th in throwing yardage.
Their top three receivers were Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki, and DeVante Parker.
Miami fired Brian Flores.
This is his third season.
Miami has replaced Brian Flores with Mike McDaniel.
Tua started in 13 games. He had a concussion in Week 4 and missed the following two games. He returned for Week 7 and began the following nine.
Tua was absent for the rest of the season after suffering a concussion in Week 16, and he did not clear the concussion protocol until February 1.
Tua completed 259 out of 400 pass attempts, for 3,548 yards. He had 25 touchdown passes and eight interceptions in an 8-5 record.
Miami’s offensive was 11th in points, sixth in yards, third in yards per play, and fourth in passing yards.
Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Trent Sherfield were the team’s top three receivers.
His fourth season:
Tua started each game. He completed 388 out of 560 throw attempts, for 4,624 yards. He finished 11-6 with 29 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.
His top three receivers were Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Durham Smythe.
Why extending him makes no sense.
Extending Tua Tagovailoa makes little sense because he is not a top quarterback. Tua is a pocket passer who requires a clear pocket to be effective. He’s not particularly mobile, with 381 rushing yards in four seasons.
If Miami wants to remain competitive, it should pursue Kirk Cousins.
