Tua Tagovailoa's contract: How might retirement have an effect on QB's deal? Wage cap professional forecasts what's subsequent

Within the case of Tua Tagovailoa, most followers and analysts appear to agree: The chief precedence for the Miami Dolphins after Thursday evening is doing proper by the quarterback’s well being, contemplating the 26-year-old is recent off his third documented concussion within the final two years. Medical specialists imagine retirement should be in the cards, as do a number of NFL greats who’ve wasted no time urging Tagovailoa to call it a career.

We all know Tagovailoa has contemplated retirement earlier than; he admitted as a lot following the 2022 season, wherein he suffered a minimum of two head accidents. We additionally know he opted in opposition to retiring, parlaying his aggressive spirit and subsequent comeback right into a profitable contract extension this summer season.

So what occurs to that deal if Tagovailoa really decides to stroll away this time? It could be a trivial concern within the grand scheme of issues, nevertheless it’s additionally very related to each participant and group contemplating the sheer quantity of the deal — a four-year, $212.4 million whopper that was simply finalized in July.

On paper, Tagovailoa’s deal ties him to Miami by 2028, nevertheless it’s structured in a approach that he is solely virtually married to the Dolphins by 2025. Take into account that the group can launch the quarterback with out absorbing a unfavourable impression to the wage cap in 2026; a post-June 1 minimize designation in that offseason would lead to a lifeless cap cost of $47.4 million, per Over the Cap, however an on the spot financial savings of $9 million in 2026 cap house. The Dolphins also can commerce Tagovailoa at any level following the 2024 season and acquire cap house, which is to say, whereas profitable, the quarterback’s deal is definitely comparatively team-friendly by way of potential “escape routes” for Miami.

The contract does embrace $167.2 million assured, however the “ensures” are largely conditional. For instance, if Tagovailoa is rarely medically cleared to return to soccer, he can stroll away with that complete package deal, in accordance with CBS Sports activities contributor and wage cap professional Joel Corry. So the Dolphins could be on the hook for $167.2 million, or almost 80% of the whole four-year extension. Corry suspects that Tagovailoa will finally be cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol, nonetheless, which implies the one approach the quarterback might retire is by voluntarily strolling away, a la former Indianapolis Colts star Andrew Luck. 

“Financially, that is gonna be robust,” Corry says. “He acquired $93.17 million assured at signing. If he is gonna stroll away voluntarily, then the 2025 ensures will void. He is acquired $50 million assured in 2025. Do you wanna stroll away from that? Retirement voids ensures. Now, the Dolphins might honor the assure in the event that they selected to. Most groups do not try this. … It will get worse: His $42 million signing bonus is in danger. Once you retire, the remaining proration of the bonus, or about $33.6 million, will be recouped.”

Ultimately, had been Tagovailoa to voluntarily retire, Corry believes the Dolphins could be unlikely to pursue a full return on the rest of the quarterback’s signing bonus. Nonetheless, given the anticipated void in ensures, he estimates Tagovailoa could be strolling away from a complete of $124 million, barring some form of drastic settlement negotiated with the Professional Bowl signal-caller.

“If I am him, I do not voluntarily retire instantly,” Corry says. “I am gonna purchase myself extra time. Usually, in terms of being cleared to return, it is on the discretion of the group physician. However you possibly can be taking a look at a grievance state of affairs if there’s one other opinion. This factor can doubtlessly get messy.”