The Miami Dolphins‘ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finds himself at a pivotal moment with his contract negotiations. As Trevor Lawrence secures a groundbreaking $275 million extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tagovailoa’s future with the Dolphins hangs in the balance.

The Dolphins’ decision to extend Lawrence’s contract has set a new benchmark for quarterback salaries, reflecting the value placed on young talent in the league. This move comes as Tagovailoa enters the final year of his rookie deal, with his performance over the past two seasons outshining that of Lawrence.

Over the past two seasons, Tua has outperformed both Lawrence and Burrow in several key areas. His 66.9% completion rate blows Lawrence’s 63.8% out of the water. Tua has tossed 81 touchdowns compared to Lawrence’s 58. And let’s not forget Tua’s stellar 32-19 record as a starter, leaving Lawrence’s 20-30 mark in the dust.

Garafolo added, “But as for Tua, who I just mentioned, um, they’re not there. If the dolphins were there, if they had a deal on the table that would have matched Joe Burrow, I believe Tua’s deal would have been done. But this is now, To his chance to say, Hey, look at our output. The two of us, right? Why don’t I deserve to get that at this point? And if the dolphins are way below that, they’ve got to come up to get this deal done.”

Comparatively, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals signed a five-year, $275 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. His average annual value (AAV) is $55 million, with $219.01 million guaranteed. This contract places him alongside other top quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in terms of salary.

The trend in NFL contracts is moving towards higher AAVs and more guaranteed money, which provides security for players and reflects their importance to their respective teams. As negotiations continue, it’s likely that we’ll see more record-breaking deals that further elevate the financial stakes of professional football.

The Dolphins’ million-dollar dilemma of Coughing it up or Kiss The Franchise QB Tua Tagovailoa goodbye

Miami is staring down an ultimatum – either they crown Tua as one of the league’s highest-paid gunslingers, or they risk their franchise QB walking away for greener pastures.

It’s a brutal predicament given the team’s tight salary cap situation. But losing Tua could trigger a catastrophic domino effect. Just imagine this nightmare – Tua stages a prolonged holdout, derailing the entire offensive machine. Or he eventually jets, forcing Miami to replace not just their star QB, but elite weapons like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle too.

As Waddle vouched, “Without Tua, I don’t think I would’ve got the extension I got.” The two go way back as college buddies at Alabama. Preserving that locker room chemistry and bond is critical, as Coach McDaniel understands. He’s publicly staying cool, “You know, man, I would have an ulcer and a panic attack if I tried to forecast anything that comes to my plate on a day-to-day basis. I haven’t extrapolated in that way. What we’re focused on is communicating with each other. The knowns are that Tua’s representation and our front office are negotiating a contract.” said the Dolphins coach to media

The writing is on the wall – the Dolphins need to go all-in on paying Tua, like they’re making a high-roller’s annual payday in Vegas. Over five decades have passed without a sniff of championship glory in Miami. Lowballing their hungry gunslinger could truly extend that Super Bowl drought into another dark age.