Will Tua, Dak, and Love All Get Contract Extensions with Their Current Teams?
Following massive movement in the quarterback market with Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence getting new extensions, other quarterbacks in the league are still left to get a new extension with their squads. Specifically, with Trevor Lawrence getting $55 million a year in his deal, it will severely hurt how the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Packers approach contract negotiations with their quarterbacks this offseason. Although most teams see Lawrence as a middle-of-the-pack quarterback, the Jaguars gave him top-of-the-market money which will affect how these other teams pay their quarterbacks, each of whom has very specific issues. So, let’s evaluate which quarterbacks will be getting paid by their franchises and which ones will be hitting free agency next year.
Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa has been with the Dolphins ever since he was drafted by them with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua entered the league as a prized commodity out of the University of Alabama, but there were concerns about his size and his previous injury history upon entering the NFL. These concerns only got magnified as during the 2022 season, Tua suffered three separate concussions throughout the year. Apart from his injury history, there are questions about how much value his play actually adds to the offense. The Dolphins have been committed to building an outstanding supporting cast around Tua, resulting in the offense being one of the most dynamic in the NFL. Last year, the Dolphins had the most yards per game averaging 401, and the most offensive touchdowns at 61 in the regular season. However, the impact of Tua’s supporting cast with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane cannot be understated. Therefore, despite Tua having 4,624 passing yards and 29 touchdowns last year, his 14 interceptions coupled with his injury history and lack of playoff success, especially in cold weather games, are major points of concern for the Dolphins as they try to negotiate a new contract with Tua. I would expect that Tua doesn’t get resigned by the Dolphins this offseason, especially not at a price tag of $55 million a year, and he ends up playing out this year on his current deal and hitting free agency next offseason.
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott, similarly to Tua’s situation with the Dolphins, is on one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, but the team’s lack of playoff success might be the reason he doesn’t get resigned. Dak is coming off a stellar season statistically after finishing second in MVP voting with 4,516 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. However, much of the offense's success could also be attributed to the fantastic play of wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, who put up 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns on an NFL-most 135 receptions. However, the Cowboys' predicament extends past the offensive side of the ball as standout edge rusher Micah Parsons is also looking for a new contract. With the Cowboys not having the salary cap space to maintain all three stars, the Cowboys must soon decide whether they want to keep Parsons and Lamb or if they want to keep just Dak out of those three. Unless all three Dallas stars are willing to take below their market value then it will be likely that Dak is the one who doesn’t remain on the squad past this upcoming season.
Jordan Love
Jordan Love is in a completely different situation than the other two quarterbacks on this list. Love was drafted with the 26th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and became the heir apparent to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. However, Rodgers would play amazingly for the next few seasons for the Packers after the Love selection, so he won’t see the field until deep into his rookie contract. After being able to sit for several seasons, Love finally got his chance to show what he was capable of last year after the Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets. With the opportunity to start all of last year, Love balled out. He threw for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Love showed through those games that he could be the Packers' next great quarterback, but unfortunately, because the Packers waited so long to play him, his rookie contract has almost expired. The Packers now rest in an interesting spot because Love appears to be the quarterback of the future, but they have only seen one year of him and can’t be sure if he will keep it up. Therefore, it is doubtful that Love will get a contract this offseason until the Packers see a few more games from him before giving him a massive new deal.
