Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been absent from most of the team's voluntary offseason work while seeking a new long-term contract, as CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported recently. But Tagovailoa changed course Monday, reporting to organized team activities (OTAs), per The Athletic, while continuing negotiations with the club on a new deal.
Tagovailoa is slated to become one of the next quarterbacks to receive a big payday. However, Miami was uncertain the signal-caller would attend this week's workouts, which would've been a stark contrast to Tagovailoa's first four seasons in the NFL, when the former first-round draft pick was present for most voluntary programming.
Drafted No. 5 overall in 2020, Tagovailoa is currently set to play 2024 under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, due $23.2 million. Both he and the Dolphins have expressed interest and optimism regarding a potential long-term extension, however, and the Alabama product is fresh off two straight seasons in which he garnered MVP consideration.
A first-time Pro Bowler in 2023, Tagovailoa also led the league in passing yards last year, his second under head coach Mike McDaniel. As Jones noted previously, the going rate for long-term quarterback deals is roughly $50 million per year.
