Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead spoke out about the negotiations involving his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, and believes the Dolphins need their quarterback to be happy to get where they want to go.
Speaking to Kay Adams of the Up & Adams Show, Armstead was candid about his feelings toward the negotiations and the importance of signing Tagovailoa to a contract that will keep him in aqua and orange for a long time.
Adams even directly asked Armstead and panel members of the if Tagovailoa deserved to be among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.
"Of course. It's going to happen," Armstead said. "We stay out of the numbers and negotiations, but it's going to happen. We need Tua to go anywhere that we are trying to go. All of our dreams, goals, and aspirations are reliant on number one. The Dolphins know that the organization knows that, the city, the league."
Armstead discussed how brutal negotiations can be. He knows it's a process and that Tagovailoa is going through it, but he believes a deal will be done quickly. Armstead was very powerful with his words and definitive in his opinions.
"The way they iron out the numbers and all that. Negotiations get tough in contracts," Armstead said. "Teams start to bring up bad plays, bad games, injuries. You start to get offended. It's leverage. Once you peel back those layers and you keep it about the business, it will get done."
Armstead is not the first Dolphins player to vocalize his support for Tagovailoa. However, he might use less exaggeration in the negotiations,
Armstead believes in his quarterback, whom he protects, but he is also realistic when he says Tagovailoa deserves to be paid among the best in the game.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill gave several interviews in which he supported his quarterback throughout the offseason. He has been campaigning for Tagovailoa to become the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
"For people to like sit here and try to discredit Tua and say he's not deserving of a contract is wild to me," Hill said. "A lot of guys on the team understand his value and understand that we need him. We need his leadership; we need the mindset that he brings into each and every week. It's there. It's almost like Terminator, man. I feel like he should be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league."
