As Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s contract saga wears on, his chances of becoming a trade candidate grow.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has Tagovailoa in a “very fluid” and “day to day” position at training camp. Tagovailoa isn’t participating in 11-on-11 drills but is doing individual work and 7-on-7 drills as he awaits a deal instead of his fifth-year option.
Miami could alleviate the issue in this proposed trade based on salary cap situations and potential 2025 draft positions between the Dolphins and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Dolphins could send Tagovailoa to the Raiders in exchange for quarterback Gardner Minshew plus acquire the Raiders’ No. 1 pick in 2025 and a third-round pick in 2026.
FS1’s Craig Carton floated a similar scenario in April regarding Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and the Raiders — albeit an unverified rumor. The Dolphins instead could pursue such a move to free up salary cap space and likely bring in a top-1o draft pick.
Las Vegas had the 13th pick this year and isn’t expected to contend in the 2024 season. Miami could consider top quarterbacks in 2025 such as Georgia’s Carson Beck, Colorado’s Shedeuer Sanders, and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.
If the Dolphins pulled this trade, Minshew will only cost the team $8 million based on his Raiders contract. If Minshew produces another Pro Bowl season as he did last year with the Indianapolis Colts, he can keep the Dolphins in playoff contention with a stacked offense.
Otherwise, the Dolphins are stuck with Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option on his rookie deal for $23.17 million this year. He wants closer to the Spotrac projection of $52.6 million annually, and the Dolphins haven’t met his contract wishes yet.
Why Gardner Minshew Could Keep the Dolphins Swimming to the Playoffs
Minshew took over in relief of injured quarterback Anthony Richardson and nearly led the Colts to an AFC South title and playoff berth last season. The journeyman quarterback could do that with better receiver in talent in South Beach.
He had the likes of Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs to throw to last season in Indianapolis. Minshew completed 62.2% of his passes for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns versus nine interceptions in the process.
With the Dolphins, Minshew gets an immediate upgrade in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle — both of whom reached 1,000 yards last year. The Dolphins’ additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and tight end Jonnu Smith will only make Minshew’s job easier.
Tua Tagovailoa: ‘The Market is the Market’
Tagovailoa’s presence at training camp doesn’t guarantee he and the Dolphins will reach an agreement anytime soon. In addition, Tagovailoa’s comments to the media in June indicate that he won’t settle below his market value.
“I mean, I’m not blind to people that are in my position that are getting paid,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “Am I concerned about it? I’m not concerned about it, but there’s a lot of discussion that we’ve had that we just are trying to move that thing into the right direction where we can both be happy.”
“I’ll tell you one thing; the market is the market. If we didn’t have a market, then none of that would matter,” Tagovailoa added. “It would just be an organizational thing. It didn’t matter if that guy got paid that because it’s up to the organization. So that’s what I would say — the market is the market. That’s it.”
