Tua Needs to Be Confident & Forceful to Maximize Contract: NFL Insider

As the training camp inches closer, one of the biggest questions that awaits the Dolphins fanbase is whether the club will offer Tua Tagovailoa a lucrative contract. Jeff Darlington of ESPN confirmed on ‘SportsCenter’ that the negotiations have been quite amicable since they started in June, and both parties are trying to get the deal done. However, Fox Sports’ David Helman wholeheartedly believes that it’s the wrong approach.

During his recent appearance on ‘Speak,’ Helman, who has been famously covering the ‘contentious’ contract situation in Dallas, asserted that Tua should absolutely expect a lucrative extension from the Dolphins.

From a distance, Helman sees Tua as a ‘nice’ and ‘humble’ guy; however, the analyst asserted that the QB needs to be ‘cocky’ instead. Only this approach could land him a good deal.

For Helman, Tua must not forget that he cut his teeth at Alabama in college and led the league in passing (4,624) last year. He also topped the league in yards per passing attempt (8.9) the year before and in passer rating (105.5). On top of that, Tua has helped his receiver, Tyreek Hill, rack up 1,799 receiving yards in a single season, which is poised to cross the 2,000-yard mark in the coming years.

While there is much to be desired from Tua in the playoffs, Helman pointed the finger at the rest of the 31 teams, who have also not made any waves in the playoffs in the past few years, except for the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes at the helm. Yet, quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence are sitting on fat contracts.

Being thrust into the starting position in his rookie year on a team that could barely hold its own, Tua has undoubtedly come a long way. This is why Helman believes that the star quarterback shouldn’t hesitate to demand a good extension.

Conversely, former linebacker turned NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho argued that Tua shouldn’t be ‘cocky’ in his negotiations, considering that this business is quite brutal.

He recalled an anecdote about his brother attending the annual owner’s meeting, from which he learned a tough lesson: owners don’t become owners by being nice people, and billionaires don’t become billionaires by being nice people.

Therefore, Acho feels that Tua must ‘beg for his bread’ like other notable QBs such as Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Dak Prescott. Even James Jones chimed in, claiming that Tua has all the leverage in the world right now and should use it to his advantage, whether it’s calling his teammates to let them know he’s holding out of camp or employing any other tactics that will help his case.

The panel, consisting of three people, chimed in with their different approaches, which many appreciated. Their insights arguably explained the contract situation and also touched on fan sentiments.

Fans Add Their Two Cents About the Tua Tagovailoa Contract Situation

The majority of fans seemed to agree with Helman’s arguments, noting that it would be nearly impossible for the Dolphins to find a playmaker elsewhere, and developing one would be even harder.

Some also agreed that if Tua decides to hold out, the club would have no choice but to extend him, while others asserted that the QB must win a playoff game first before asking for a big contract. See for yourselves:

For now, all the fanbase can do is wait. While there is a strong chance the Dolphins will extend their QB with a lucrative contract, history tells us this isn’t always the case in the NFL. However, from the outside, Tua seems like the perfect choice for the team, given that he has steadily established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.