Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Doesn’t ‘Feel Any Pressure at All’ on Contract Talks

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Tua Tagovailoa isn’t worried about his long-term future with the Miami Dolphins.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Tagovailoa told reporters when asked about playing in a contract year (per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post). “I have full confidence in what I can do for this franchise. I’m not worried about [a contract] right now.

The 25-year-old is set to hit unrestricted free agency following the 2024 season after the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option worth $23.1 million in March 2023.

The former No. 5 overall pick struggled during Miami’s 26-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round, completing a mere 51.3 percent of his passes for 199 yards on a cold Saturday night. He threw one touchdown to go along with one costly interception, setting the Chiefs up to take an early 10-0 lead.

However, Tagovailoa did his best to prove that he’s worthy of a long-term extension throughout the regular season. After battling injuries in each of his first three years in the NFL, he appeared in 16 games in 2023 and made the Pro Bowl. Tagovailoa threw for a league-leading 4,624 yards, racking up 29 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions.

Prior to the season, he echoed a similar sentiment about an extension and told the media that he needs to “work for” one.

“I think regardless of what it is, if [Miami] wanted to do it now, if they wanted to wait, whatever; I think for myself I’m always a person that wants to prove to myself that I deserve whatever I get,” Tagovailoa said on July 26, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “So for me, I feel like this is something that I need to work for. It’s as plain and simple as that.”

Despite the Dolphins’ surprisingly early postseason exit after winning nine of their first 12 games, Tagovailoa has done more than enough to warrant an extension.