Tua Tagovailoa Rumors: 'Many' NFL Execs Wouldn't Use Dolphins QB's Contract Option

Concerns about Tua Tagovailoa's long-term health reportedly have many NFL executives skeptical about his status as the Miami Dolphins' franchise quarterback.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported executives said they would not exercise Tagovailoa's fifth-year option in his rookie contract over health concerns.

The Alabama product suffered two documented concussions during the 2022 season, the last of which cost him the Dolphins' final three games, including their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. He entered the NFL in 2020 after suffering a season-ending hip injury, which gives him two major injury concerns before his 25th birthday.

"For concussion protocol, I think the team did me the biggest service throughout that," Tagovailoa told USA Today's Mackenzie Salmon. "They never allowed me to go through protocol normally until the season was done. So that's why it might have seemed to take forever, but they were just protecting me from myself."

Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns against eight touchdowns during the 2022 season and led the NFL with a 105.5 quarterback rating. He was an MVP candidate before suffering the first concussion and threw three interceptions in his final game of the season, after which it was revealed he was dealing with another head injury.

From a pure football perspective, the Dolphins exercising Tagovailoa's fifth-year option is a no-brainer. It does not require a long-term commitment, and the option would pay him less than any quarterback of his caliber would receive on the open market.

Being hesitant to sign Tagovailoa to an extension is one thing, but tacking on an additional year to his rookie contract seems more like smart organizational thinking than anything else. At the very least, it will give the team an extra year to assess Tagovailoa's overall health.