Since being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa His career had an uneven start, but he seemed to flourish under the guidance of a coach Mike McDaniel In 2022. The 26-year-old has shown potential to become Miami's first franchise quarterback Dan Marino,
However, with just two games remaining in the 2024 season, his career is now in question. Tagovailoa suffered a head injury during Miami's loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, sparking discussion about whether he should consider retirement.
Here's everything we know about how the topic of retirement will affect his contract and the remainder of his season with the team.
A look inside Tagovailoa's contract
This offseason, the Dolphins general manager Chris Grier Tagovailoa's improvements were rewarded with a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension. Of that, $167.1 million is guaranteed, with nearly $42 million of that already paid out this year.
according to Michael Ginnity According to Spotrac, if Tagovailoa is cleared to play but wants to retire, he will lose the remaining $124 million unless he works out a deal to get it back. However, if he is forced to retire for medical reasons, he will be entitled to that $124 million.
Ginnetti mentioned X“The other side of this equation gets a little trickier. If Tua passes his physical next March, the Dolphins can release him since he only has $50 million of his 2025 compensation left.”
He said the $54 million the Dolphins owe Tagovailoa for 2026 will become guaranteed on March 14. Releasing him after June would reduce the dead cap hit over the final two years of his contract by $83.6 million.
Ginnitty commented, “I believe players want to play. That's what they've done in their lives so far. Despite this being the fourth major head injury, my guess is that Tua will be healed by next March. This situation puts pressure on the Dolphins to either move on (knowing that $54 million will be guaranteed) or release him. Another option could be to renegotiate the contract to provide the team with more security if Tua wants to continue his career.”
Has Tagovailoa considered retirement?
Last year, Tagovailoa told reporters he considered retiring in 2022 after suffering multiple injuries.
“I've thought about it for a while, sitting down with my family, sitting down with my wife and having those conversations,” he said. “But, realistically, it would be hard for me to walk away from the game. The age I am; with my son – I've always dreamed of playing as much as I can, where my son knows exactly what he's watching his dad do.”
“It's my health. It's my body. I think it's what's best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn't love it, I would have quit a long time ago,” Tagovailoa said.
Has anyone else experienced a similar situation?
Ginnitti told Front Office Sports that no player with a contract like Tagovailoa's has faced a situation like this before. The closest comparison is andrew luckJoe retired rather than sign a big new deal, but still walked away from the Colts with over $16 million.
Luck, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, unexpectedly retired from the NFL in August 2019. He made the decision after dealing with multiple injuries and setbacks over the past few years, including a particularly troubling calf-ankle injury that bothered him during the 2018 season and persisted into 2019.
Following his retirement, Luck lost a significant amount of money. However, his decision – prompted by the physical and emotional burden of constant rehabilitation and injuries – sparked discussions about player health, the pressures of professional sports, and the broader mental and physical challenges athletes face.
