What Tier of Quarterbacks Does Tua Tagovailoa Reside?
Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Nearly all the news surrounding the Miami Dolphins right now revolves around the contract negotiations for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The fifth-year signal-caller is in the final season of his deal and aims to be paid like one of the top quarterbacks in the league.
That includes players such as Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff — who aren’t considered elite, yet both just signed for more than $50 million per year. Naturally, his representation will try and get more than this, but should that be the case?
To answer that, we first have to see where he falls in comparison to his fellow quarterbacks. Let’s dive in and see where he ranks.
Tier 5: The Rookies
32. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
31. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
30. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
29. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
This first tier includes the rookies expected to start this season. We don’t know exactly what they’ll offer in 2024, so they remain at the bottom of the list as “unknowns.”
Tier 4: Stop Gap/Bridge Players
28. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders
27. Daniel Jones, New York Giants
26. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
25. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots
24. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
23. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
22. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
21. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
20. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
In this tier, several solid players have put together some impressive wins but no longer strike fear into opposing teams. Russell Wilson is a former Super Bowl champion and Deshaun Watson was once elite with Houston. Both are in the AFC North now trying to get back on track.
There’s also Bryce Young who has a lot to prove following his rookie year. Derek Carr and Daniel Jones fall into this group as well due to their inconsistent play.
Tier 3: Can win with the right cast
19. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
18. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
16. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
15. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
14. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
13. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
12. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
We get into Tier 3 before finding Tagovailoa, who is ranked 14th overall. This is a collection of quarterbacks who can win — but haven’t proven they can carry a team. This isn’t a bad thing at all.
Jordan Love made it to the Divisional Round last year and Brock Purdy was in the Super Bowl. Jared Goff also made the Super Bowl once, back in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s a positive sign for Tua for two reasons. One, he is in a situation where he has the right cast, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as his primary weapons. Two, most of the QBs in this tier have been paid a significant amount of money, including Lawrence and Goff.
Tier 2: Elite
10. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
9. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
7. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
6. Dak Prescott, Dak Prescott
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
This is where the debates get intense. The list of elite quarterbacks often gets people fired up and while we can argue about their exact placement, they all have proven they can put an offense on their back.
C.J. Stroud was elite as a rookie, Josh Allen has changed the culture in Buffalo, and Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford have Super Bowl rings. There will be those who scoff at Dak Prescott but if he wore any uniform other than the Cowboys, he would be seen in a better light.
Tier 1: That Dude
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Tier 1 is Patrick Mahomes. He has three Super Bowl rings already and is going after an NFL record with the Chiefs aiming to be the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row.
He’s that dude, no debate about it.
The consensus
Putting Tagovailoa at No. 14 is far from a slight. He’s a quarterback who can get hot and light up the scoreboard but doesn’t come without concerns. Outside of his durability issues (which weren’t a problem in 2023), Tagovailoa is seen as a product of the system. Head coach Mike McDaniel has done wonders for his performance and put him in a position to succeed.
That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be paid, as since the same can be said of Goff who took a step forward under Ben Johnson. Even Lawrence struggled with Urban Meyer before Doug Pederson helped him make some strides.
With all that said, Tagovailoa finds himself firmly planted in the top 15 and should see a contract in the same range as Goff and Lawrence, probably coming somewhere in the range of $53-$55 million per season. The only question left is whether or not Miami is willing to pay that.
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