Tua Tagovailoa is in the building. That's at least something positive between the Miami Dolphins and their star quarterback as the latter looks for a contract offer from the former that is in line with the ongoing market for quarterbacks.
However, it appears as though he won't be a full participant in team activities as the two sides continue their financial standoff that's continued since early in the offseason.
So what will be the plan for Tagovailoa, at least as far as the team is concerned? Mike McDaniel was asked that during his press conference on Wednesday morning.
"The plan is - two parts to it," McDaniel said. "I think it's important to acknowledge that Tua is in the midst of a contract negotiation. That's important to him and the football team. That being said, we communicate very well, and it's very fluid. We're taking it day by day. I expect it to be kind of like OTAs, and we'll move on from there."
As far as the expectation for how they plan to handle it and not let it become a distraction for the team as it plays out, McDaniel noted that the focus is on the task ahead and not what's going on - at least that is what is being preached.
"I'm very proud of the team this offseason. There's been a lot of things that we've matured in how we go about our business. One thing about being in the National Football League, there's stuff that goes on that you can't control. I think from the start, people try not to make it a distraction and emphasize their work. It's just an opportunity that, in a different way, is the same challenge that you're presented with during the entire course of the year.
"I'm not going to forecast how long anything looks a certain way or whatever. We'll adjust however we see fit to make sure that we're appropriately positioning our players for success. All of those things are a distraction if you allow them to be. Myself, I have open conversations about that stuff to the team, and to understand - we're all not robots. You have to consciously make sure you're worrying about the right stuff. I think our team is, I think our team is really excited about practicing against each other and making today matter and having something to build on for tomorrow.
"So I have no concerns about distractions, and we together make sure that we do whatever we can to put our best foot forward, really."
It's really hard to fault what McDaniel is saying here. Objectively it is one of those situations of "it is what it is" at this stage. There's really no point in sulking about it or letting it affect players' preparations for the season. The team is going to do what it's going to do.
But players are human, and seeing how the organization is handling the situation of the most important player on their roster - rightly or wrongly in their minds - is a hard thing to simply ask them to take their minds away from. Multiple players have already spoken publicly about the situation, including Jonnu Smith and Terron Armstead .
We'll see if it indeed becomes a distraction in the coming weeks - and perhaps see if the two sides can finally get past this apparent impasse and reach a deal.
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