Miami Dolphins Won't Even Consider Drafting QB in Round 1

Contract negotiations with Tua Tagovailoa should pick up after the NFL draft

Cross quarterback off the list of positions the Miami Dolphins might address early in the 2024 NFL draft.

General Manager Chris Grier says the team is thrilled with the progress, development and work ethic it has seen from Tua Tagovailoa, who was named the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter at the conclusion of his fourth season as Miami's starting quarterback.

Grier said the Dolphins have put on hold negotiations for a multi-year deal for Tagovailoa until after the draft, but don’t expect Miami to add competition at the position this offseason.

“We look at every position, but that’s not what I’m looking at in the first round,” Grier said with a chuckle when asked directly if selecting a quarterback is an option during his annual pre-draft press conference, which sets up next week’s NFL draft.

“That’s not a position we’ve even talked about,” Grier said, referring to the Dolphins’ pre-draft work with talent evaluators and coaches. 

“We’re very happy with Tua and where he is with us,” Grier continued, referring to Tagovailoa, who led the NFL in passer rating in 2022 and led the NFL in passing yards in 2023. “I wouldn’t say we’re not going to draft a quarterback. We took Skylar (Thompson) in the seventh round years ago. We always look at opportunities, ways you can add depth to your roster.”

But as for the possibility that Miami might use its first-round pick (No. 21) or second-round pick (No. 55) on a passer like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oregon’s Bo Nix, who are all projected to be taken anywhere from the middle of the first round to the second day, Grier extinguished that possibility.

And keep in mind Grier is known and respected for his honesty.

DOLPHINS SHY AWAY FROM QB COMPETITION

The Dolphins generally have shied away from having quarterbacks compete for the starting spot, and haven’t had a legitimate battle for the starting spot since David Garrard, Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore competed for the starting spot in 2012, which was Tannehill’s rookie season.

The Dolphins’ decision-makers have openly stated the team’s desire is to lock up Tagovailoa with a multi-year deal, signing him to a contract that will without a doubt be the largest deal in franchise history. But the franchise doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to put the deal to bed.

"When it happens, it happens," Grier said. "We've had communications with him. I'll just leave those between the organization and his representation. And it's been good. So we'll just keep working towards it. Him and his agent have been very understanding that this is now the draft. So let's focus on that and and then we'll turn our attention to that after this after the draft finishes."

The reality is that now that Miami has made it through the free agent spending period without gaining cap space from adjusting Tagovailoa’s cap number, and Miami has $18.9 million in cap space coming from the June 1 release of cornerback Xavien Howard, there is no immediate financial benefit to extending Tagovailoa this spring or summer unless Miami plans to be aggressive in adding more free agents.

The Dolphins are in position, if they chose, to have Tagovailoa play on the fifth-year option and then use the franchise tag, which would guarantee the 26-year-old $42.5 million for the 2025 season.

The thought process under that scenario is that a $65.6 million investment made over two seasons (2024 and 2025) would be more cost-efficient and provide more flexibility for the franchise than guaranteeing him $133.7 million, which is what Justin Herbert will receive in the first three years of the deal he signed last offseason with the Los Angeles Chargers, or the $146.5 million Joe Burrow received in guaranteed money from the Cincinnati Bengals.

WILL TAGOVAILOA'S PATIENCE PAY OFF?

Grier has hinted that a deal might not get done before training camp or the 2024 regular season arrives because of how complex, and gigantic quarterback contracts have become. The last time Miami was in this position with a quarterback selected in the first round they signed Tannehill to a multi-year extension before triggering the fifth-year option.

The fact no deal has been agreed to yet hasn't stop Tagovailoa from participating in the team’s offseason program.

“Just letting my agent deal with that and talk to the team about that,” Tagovailoa said last week. “For me, my focus is when OTAs come, go to OTAs, show up and be the best teammate I can be.”