Tagovailoa’s issues, Thompson’s struggles create these cap/financial dilemmas for Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa’s December struggles and latest concussion concern — combined with Skylar Thompson’s ineffectiveness when given a chance to play — have created all sorts of looming contractual and cap conundrums that the Dolphins had hoped to avoid.

Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol this week after displaying concussion symptoms Monday. The Dolphins aren’t sure if he sustained a concussion on Sunday; if he did, it was either his second or third of the season. His status for Sunday’s game at New England is very much in doubt.

The situation created considerable debate on national television about whether the Dolphins should move forward with him.

Exploring the issues one at a time:

▪ Tagovailoa is under contract for next season with nearly all of that salary guaranteed ($4.7 million). The Dolphins have until early May to determine whether to exercise Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option for 2024. That option is expected to be worth $22.67 million, per ovetthecap.com.

Had Tagovailoa been named to the Pro Bowl team when it was originally announced last Wednesday, his 2024 salary — under the fifth-year option — would have been $28 million; if he’s added as an alternate, he would not get that salary boost.

Once that option is exercised by a team, the full 2024 salary becomes guaranteed. So even if Tagovailoa sustains a serious injury next season, he would be owed $22.67 million in 2024 if the Dolphins exercise the option.

Teams sometimes decline the option and instead work out a long-term deal with a player. That seemed to be the likely course when Tagovailoa was flourishing during Miami’s 8-3 start. Now the Dolphins could opt to wait and go year to year with Tagovailoa.

“Certainly, I would want to keep him,” ESPN analyst and former Dolphins executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum said on ‘Get Up’ on Tuesday. “In terms of how much do we pay him, the average per year you could probably work out something reasonable. In terms of the guarantees, if I’m the Dolphins or any team with a player like this, you’re going to have to hedge your bet. You have to think about bringing in another quarterback [to supplement Tagovailoa].

“You want to bring him back. He’s obviously had a very good year. He’s an improved player. The structure of the contract is going to be much more consequential. Average per year you can work that out, somewhere in the top 10.”

ESPN’s Bart Scott, the former NFL linebacker, asked Tannenbaum: “Why lock him into a contract for three years? I would make him have to prove it.”

Tannenbaum said: “The next decision is going to be do you exercise the [2024 fifth-year] option or not.”

“But the more interesting question is how much is guaranteed [if you opt for a multiyear deal instead of exercising the option]. I don’t think any team is going to say, ‘Here’s $100, $125 million guaranteed’ based on the fact he’s played only one full season going back to Alabama. That to me is the more interesting part of the negotiation. Then you have to bring in someone else” as reliable depth.

Before Tagovailoa’s December struggles and latest concussion scare, Spotrac.com projected Tagovailoa would command a six-year, $226.8 million extension from the Dolphins when he becomes eligible for one in the spring. That average salary of $37.8 million would rank ninth in the league. That size of an extension — if he gets an extension at all in the next several months — would seem unlikely now.

“I can’t with good conscience sign him to a long-term contact,” Scott said. “He’s a very slight-build quarterback. We had concerns about his knee, hip in college, not being available in college and that’s usually an indication of how you’re going to be in the NFL. The quarterback position is reliant on your availability. I’m starting to get concerned on the amount of concerns starting to add up. I’m not sure Tua makes it to a second contract.”

▪ The backup issue.

The Dolphins, who have less than $5 million in 2023 cap space, had hoped that rookie Skylar Thompson - who was great in preseason - would be good enough to be the No. 2 quarterback next season, which would keep them from needing to allocate a significant amount of cap space on a veteran backup quarterback.

But Thompson struggled in one start and significant playing time in another game (two interceptions, 52.2 rating, 28 for 53, 278 yards).

So the Dolphins are going to need to invest millions in a backup, particularly in light of Tagovailoa’s concussion issues. Bridgewater, on a one-year deal, is making $6.5 million with a $6.5 million cap hit.

“You have to think about bringing in another quarterback,” Tannenbaum said. “I don’t think it’s worked out well with Teddy Bridgewater so far. Maybe it’s a guy like [the 49ers’] Jimmy Garoppolo. Maybe it’s a guy like [the Jets’] Mike White. You’re going to need depth at that position because Tua is a very productive player, but his availability is a big concern.”

But Garoppolo likely will command starting money elsewhere — perhaps with the Jets — and the Dolphins, with such limited cap space, wouldn’t seem to be in an ideal position to land him.

Why would Garoppolo even consider the Dolphins knowing he would be a backup?

“The conversation with Jimmy Garoppolo,” Tanenbaum said, “is you haven’t been able to get through a season either. It may be a hard thing to do. There will be some quarterback out there that wants to go down there because they have such great weapons who says ‘I may not start but if I get out there, I have a chance to resurrect my career.”

There are two marquee veterans scheduled to be unrestricted free agents: Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson. But the Ravens won’t allow Jackson to hit the open market; they will either place the franchise tag on him or sign him to a long-term deal. There’s a slim chance they could trade him for a gold mine of picks. But the Dolphins — who don’t have a first-round pick in 2023 — seemingly wouldn’t have the draft inventory to make a competitive offer.

Brady has given no indication that he will retire. NBC’s Rodney Harrison, Brady’s former teammate, interviewed him last week and said he expects Brady will play for another team (not Tampa Bay) next season. But he assuredly would want to be assured of starting.

Other veteran quarterbacks scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March include, Gardner Minshew (he would make some sense), White (the Jets could keep him as a starter or No. 2; he’s starting at Seattle on Sunday), Daniel Jones (Giants could franchise him), Geno Smith (has earned another year as a starter in Seattle) and 10 who project as backups: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Bridgewater, Jacoby Brissett, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Trace McSorley, Taylor Heinicke, Drew Lock and Brett Rypien.

THIS AND THAT

▪ ESPN’s Ryan Clark asked Tuesday: “Does Tua Tagovailoa ever play again? If Tua is in a place where routine tackles put him in concussion protocol?”

Predictably, several former players suggested he shouldn’t play again this season.

Former NFL Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson took it a step further, saying: “If it’s indeed it’s another concussion he has think long and hard about continuing to play this game ever again.. Period.”

▪ Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, on what he told Tagovailoa after Sunday’s game:

“I told him to take care of himself, too. He’s had some pretty vicious hits this year. But he’s a good kid. He’s got a long career in the league to look forward to.”

▪ Coach Mike McDaniel said the Dolphins stuck with Robert Jones at left guard against Green Bay instead of activating Liam Eichenberg because Jones has “done a great job. And because of that, there’s a lot of things that go into activation off IR and one of those is roster spots and we have a good amount of good players on the team, so it didn’t make sense for us to go ahead and move on that early.”

Eichenberg must be activated this week; if he’s not, he would be required to finish the season on injured reserve.