Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Wednesday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s practice participation will be “fluid” during training camp as he and the team discuss a possible contract extension and we have started to get a picture of what that means in terms of his workload.
Per multiple reports, Tagovailoa was present for practice on Thursday but did not participate in the team’s second workout of the summer. Tagovailoa did some drills during Wednesday’s practice, but was not a participant in the 11-on-11 work that the Dolphins did to open up camp.
It’s not an ideal way to prepare for the 2024 season, especially because it’s not clear that there’s a way to bridge any cap that exists between player and team on the contractual front. While plenty of Dolphins players have shared their feeling that Tagovailoa deserves a deal as a top quarterback, the Dolphins have not shown the same willingness to pay him at the market level.
Jordan Love is believed to be close to landing his new contract with the Packers and the numbers of that deal aren’t likely to help make things easier in Miami, so the fluid practice situation might not be ending soon.