Is Tua Tagovailoa following in Kirk Cousins' footsteps?

Tua Tagovailoa will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.  Though that is one year away, it puts both Tua and the Miami Dolphins in an interesting situation if the two sides do not agree to a contract extension before the 2024 season.

While Tua could hold out from training camp and force the Dolphins to make an immediate decision, it seems more likely that this issue will linger into 2025.

What could happen then?

USA Today's For The Win mentioned that the Dolphins could take a page out of the Washington Commanders playbook when they had Kirk Cousins on the roster.  They placed a franchise tag on him for two consecutive years which drove up his salary and increased his market value once he moved on to Minnesota and ever since.

While franchise tagging could mean big paychecks in Tua's future, it comes with a lot of uncertainty.  If he gets injured during the season, he has no protection.  It is fair to assume that Tua would prefer the Dolphins to give him the confidence and security of a long-term deal, perhaps making him the newest highest-paid NFL quarterback, but he will be forced to roll with the punches if that does not happen.

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