The looming question of Tua Tagovailoa’s new contract is slowly but surely bleeding into the 2024 season, and I’m skeptical about a deal getting done anytime soon. It’s being reported that they have “gotten the ball rolling and started dialogue” on a new contract, but that’s the beginning phases of negotiations.

There are still months to go before the boys get back on the field, but Tua’s contract will be a top debate topic across all NFL media, and the longer you wait, the more people speculate and the more attention it gets.

The earlier a deal can get done, the better, but that’s not the name of the game in the NFL. They’ll be in the trenches of a contract negotiation for the next few months, but what if, maybe, this isn’t so hard to figure out?

Miami native and now national media head Joy Taylor suggested on “Speak” that the Miami Dolphins should make Tua Tagovailoa the highest-paid quarterback in the league.

I firmly believe that Tua is easily the best quarterback the Dolphins have had since Dan Marino and is the future at the quarterback position. I’d just be hard-pressed to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the league.

I have the same stance for anyone who’s not considered an elite quarterback. I have Tua in the top ten, but elite, paid at the top of the market, has to go to the top three to five guys, and he’s not that guy yet. If I were in the Dolphins position, I’d fight tooth and nail to make that first number a four, even if it’s $49 million annually. That’s a win in my book, though I will say that the explanation Taylor offers does make sense.

Tua put up the top five numbers. He stayed healthy for the whole season. He lead the Dolphins to back-to-back playoff appearances. He has a starting record of 32-19, and the Dolphins have never had a losing season in his tenure.

He’s the next guy up for a huge contract, and that’s true. If they gave him top-of-the-league money, it does make sense on paper. The numbers, leadership, and stability are all there.

I am in favor of a Tua extension for the foreseeable future and have no problem giving him BIG money, but I can’t get on board with the prospect of giving a quarterback the highest contract in league history unless they can carry the team on their back when it’s needed, or make the biggest plays in the biggest moments, and Tua has not done that. I’m just not there yet.

Let us know in the comments if Tua Tagoviloa should be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL and what you think his extension should look like.