Tua Tagovailoa ‘principally absent’ from Miami Dolphins offseason coaching program

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa reported to the crew’s coaching facility when the crew started their offseason coaching program in April. In keeping with a report from CBS Sports activities’ Jonathan Jones, that could be in regards to the extent of what Tagovailoa, coming off his first Professional Bowl choice, has completed this offseason. “Tagovailoa has been absent for the massive majority of voluntary offseason work for the reason that Dolphins reported again April 15,” Jones wrote Friday morning.

Tagovailoa has been a full participant within the offseason coaching program prior to now. The Dolphins included the quarterback of their collage of photographs from the crew’s on-field practices early within the offseason program, releasing a put up on X on April 19:

Tagovailoa is coming into his fifth 12 months within the league after Miami chosen fifth total within the 2020 NFL Draft. The Dolphins exercised the fifth-year possibility in Tagovailoa’s rookie contract final 12 months, holding him with the crew by means of the 2024 season. The crew is believed to be engaged on a contract extension for Tagovailoa, however they may fall again to utilizing the franchise tag subsequent offseason to maintain him with the crew for at the very least a sixth season.

“I believe it’s one thing that when it occurs, it occurs,” Dolphins basic supervisor Chris Grier stated of the contract negotiations with Tagovailoa on April 16. “We’ve had communication with him and I’ll simply go away these between the group and his illustration, and it’s been good so we’ll simply maintain working in direction of it. Him and his agent are very understanding that that is now the draft, so he’s letting us concentrate on that after which we’ll flip our consideration to that after the draft finishes.”

Head coach Mike McDaniel, on March 25, spoke about Tagovailoa, the contract negotiations, and the probability of Tagovailoa collaborating within the offseason program. He defined, “The contract and contract negotiations, these issues take time. I do anticipate Tua to be in OTAs solely as a result of my working relationship with Tua. For 2 years, I’ve watched Tua achieve some unbelievable residuals in direction of the season in that course of. It’s a part of the rationale Tua is who he’s as a result of he’s all the time studying, by no means staying the identical and all the time engaged on his craft. I do know the one factor that he likes to do now in his life, in addition to be a kick ass dad to Ace and Maizy, is play soccer together with his teammates. That’s what I anticipate. I don’t actually put an excessive amount of thought past that. I perceive the enterprise, however I additionally perceive my job with Tua is to ensure that his soccer is constant to evolve and the perfect days are in entrance of him, that are each of our targets.”

Below the NFL and NFL Gamers Affiliation collective bargaining settlement, the offseason coaching program is primarily a voluntary interval for the participant, with no disciplinary actions approved if a participant chooses to not present. Groups might maintain one obligatory occasion, a minicamp, late in this system. The obligatory minicamp can be held June 4-6 for the Dolphins. The crew might nice any participant who doesn’t report for the minicamp.

The fifth-year possibility can pay Tagovailoa a totally assured $23.17 million this season. A brand new contract would possible pay Tagovailoa round $50 million per season. The Detroit Lions and quarterback Jared Goff agreed this week on a brand new four-year, $212 million contract with $113.6 million totally assured and a further $57 million in damage ensures. Goff’s contract has a $53 million per season common, second behind the Cincinnati Bengals’ cope with Joe Burrow ($55 million per 12 months).

Tagovailoa skipping the exercises may very well be an indication that he’s rising pissed off with the negotiations on a long-term contract extension.

In 4 seasons with the Dolphins, Tagovailoa has thrown for 12,639 yards with a 66.9 % completion fee, 81 touchdowns, 37 interceptions, and a profession passer ranking of 97.1. He led the league in passer ranking in 2022 with a 105.5. Final 12 months, he threw for a league-high 4,624 yards, incomes the beginning on the league’s all-star Professional Bowl Video games occasion.