Why Dolphins' Mike McDaniel is staying out of Tua Tagovailoa contract talks

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel made it known during a Tuesday news conference that he's staying out of contract talks between the organization and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this spring. 

"Yeah, I don’t want any of that burden in my life," McDaniel explained, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "This is what’s great about the orchestration of our organization. I think it’s important that the player-coach relationship is put on a pedestal where you don’t tinker with that. My job is to get him better. His job is to communicate with me how I’m doing in that process. And I think we’re in a safe zone where when he’s talking to me about my expertise, [we avoid] stuff that is not my expertise."

Tagovailoa enjoyed the best football of his pro career under McDaniel over the past two seasons and is in the final year of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old, who suffered a minimum of two reported concussions during the 2022 campaign, started every game for Miami last season and reportedly has slimmed down in an attempt to be a more agile offensive weapon this season. 

It was recently revealed that Tagovailoa had been absent for portions of Miami's voluntary offseason work since the middle of April. He reported to the Dolphins' facility for the start of organized team activities on Monday, and McDaniel discussed his quarterback's attendance record on Tuesday. 

"He has been here for offseason activities, he has not been here for offseason activities — he has been both," McDaniel said about Tagovailoa. "I think what’s important in the player-coach relationship is communication. And I think however things play out, as long as we’re communicating and we’re on our Ps and Qs in what we need to get accomplished, then we have a fighting chance. It’s been a good exercise in our relationship this offseason." 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Dolphins "made at least one contract offer" to Tagovailoa's camp after the 2020 first-round draft pick led the league with 4,624 passing yards last season. The two sides may not yet be all that close to signing a deal, but it appears the relationship between McDaniel and Tagovailoa won't be impacted by the situation ahead of the training camp.