Speaking to the media after the Dolphins’ first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday, a noticeably terse Tagovailoa said he has taken note of the recent contracts other NFL quarterbacks have received, although he stopped short of admitting concern about any offers the team has made.
“I’m not blind to people that are in my position, who are getting paid,” he said. “Am I concerned about it? I’m not concerned about it, but there’s a lot of discussion that we’ve had. We’re just trying to move that thing in the right direction to where everyone can be happy.”
Tagovailoa enters the final year of his rookie contract in 2024 and has been entrenched in negotiations with the Dolphins this offseason on a long-term extension that should make him the highest-paid player in franchise history.”I think there’s been a lot of progress at this point, from where we started there’s been a lot of progress,” he said. “You can ask the other question of, ‘Why aren’t we seeing an agreement?’ Well, that’s the tough part about it. That’s why it’s business.”Tagovailoa led the
NFL in passing yards last season and was named the AFC’s starting quarterback at the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He also set career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns and games played. It was an ideal response after the 2022 season when he suffered two documented concussions and missed five games, including a playoff loss to the n of punishment, the former No. 5 pick bulked
up to 238 pounds last offseason before cutting down to 225 pounds during training camp. He also took part in a customized breakfall jiu-jitsu program to learn how to fall without hitting the back of his head on the ground — which caused both his concussions in 2022.Tagovailoa was visibly slimmer — or “svelte” as coach Mike McDaniel described — and confirmed he had cut weight during the offseason,
although he declined to specify how many pounds he has dropped. He said the weight loss has helped with his mobility and ability to extend plays, which was an area McDaniel hinted he could improve on after the 2023 season.
