Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reported to training camp for team meetings Tuesday, a sign that good faith could continue in ongoing contract negotiations.
If Tagovailoa participates in the first day of workouts Wednesday, the message becomes even more promising.
Entering his fifth season, Tagovailoa is still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft.
Tagovailoa is targeting similar riches already enjoyed by quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, who were drafted the same season. After their rookie deals, Burrow and Herbert signed multi-year contracts in excess of $200 million.
Although Tagovailoa didn’t speak with reporters Tuesday, teammates strongly support his value to the team. He was named a captain for the second consecutive season in the past two seasons, his teammates always praise him as a player and a person.
“He’s very excited to be back in the building with all of the guys,” receiver Tyreek Hill said. “It’s great to see him out there. Still coming into work. It’s still about his business without having the deal done. It just has been awesome having him around.”
“His presence means a lot, especially to me,” Hill said.
Thanks to a productive and injury-free 2023 season, Tagovailoa improved his negotiating leverage for the coveted deal. Tagovailoa threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
“Tua is a guy that really loves the game,” receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “He likes to be around the team and the guys.”
“I think Tua is very well deserving of the opportunity to get a contract extension,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “He’s worked his tail off since I’ve started playing with him. The leadership that he portrays, not only for the team, but for the organization, is definitely top-notch.”
The Dolphins reached the post-season but were eliminated in the first round by eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City, extending a 24-year drought of playoff wins.
Throughout negotiations, Tagovailoa participated in the team’s off-season workouts, which also included veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr., signed by the Dolphins in the offseason.
Teammates don’t anticipate a deviation from the trend on Wednesday but when it involves contract negotiations, they also understand the alternative of Tagovailoa sitting out or limiting his work during camp.
“That’s under his discretion and his team. I can’t really speak on that because I’m his teammate and one of his brothers,” Mostert said. “Tua is Tua, and he’s always put the team first.”
In other contact news for the Dolphins, they re-signed defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah to a one-year deal on Tuesday.
Ogbah’s four-year tenure appeared finished following the 2023 season. But after the unexpected retirement of edge rusher Shaq Barrett last week, Ogbah again became an appealing option.
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Reporting by The Associated Press.
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