Mike McDaniel has honest take on Tua Tagovailoa’s contract situation
Oct 15, 2021; Ware, United Kingdom; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) at a press conference at the Hanbury Marriott Manor and Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Tua Tagovailoa has not given any indication that he will hold out for a new contract from the Miami Dolphins, but it sounds like the quarterback’s training camp participation could be impacted by the ongoing negotiations.
As expected, Tagovailoa was present for the start of training camp on Tuesday. Mike McDaniel was asked on Wednesday if the plan is for Tagovailoa to practice, and he gave a very honest response. The Dolphins coach called the situation “fluid.”
“There’s two parts to it. I think it’s important to acknowledge that Tua is in the midst of a contract negotiation. That’s important to him and the football team,” McDaniel said. “That being said, we communicate very well. It’s very fluid. We’re taking it day by day. Today, I expect it to kind of be like OTAs, and we’ll move on from there.”
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel answered questions from South Florida media, the first of which was about Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's practice plan.
McDaniel's initial response on "the plan…"
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Tagovailoa took part in 7-on-7 drills during OTAs but sat out 11-on-11 drills. McDaniel seemed to hint that the quarterback will take the same approach in training camp if no extension is agreed upon.
Tagovailoa has been open about the fact that he wants a contract that is comparable to some of the mega-extensions quarterbacks have gotten this offseason. One report claimed the Dolphins are not willing to give him a salary like the $55 million Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence are now making, though the two sides seem to still be working on it.
It is a good sign that Tagovailoa is participating in training camp at all, but at some point his contract stalemate could become a distraction.
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