Considering the top three teams in the 2024 NFL Draft have not shown an appetite to trade down, the Minnesota Vikings may need to pivot on finding their future franchise quarterback if their ideal quarterback is taken in the draft — and one analyst believes Tua Tagovailoa is worthy of discussion.
Nick Wright of Fox Sports’ “First Things First” suggested the Miami Dolphins, who are facing a crossroads with Tagovailoa entering the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, should call the Vikings and pursue a trade with Minnesota, who should star receiver Justin Jefferson in mind of their quarterback decisions.
“If I were advising the Dolphins, I would tell them, “Hey, you know how Minnesota acquired an extra first-round pick’ — they have the 11th and the 23rd because they want a quarterback — I would call them and see what they think of Tua Tagovailoa,” Wright said on March 21. “You could have stability at the quarterback position, maybe quiet Justin Jefferson’s fears.”
The trade package would likely revolve around the Vikings’ pair of first-round picks with a potential Day 2 or Day 3 pick to sweeten the deal.
Tagovailoa, 25, is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,624 yards passing and 29 touchdowns to lead the Dolphins to an 11-6 season and a playoff berth.
Could this be Tua's last year in Miami?
"If Mike McDaniel is the coach I think he is, then yes, it could be. If I were the Dolphins, I'd call the Vikings & see what they think of Tua." — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/RrjL11F33x
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 21, 2024
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Does Not Fit Vikings’ Timeline
Tagovailoa playing on a $23.1 million fifth-year option for the 2024 season is an affordable rate for a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback — but he’s about to become much more expensive.
Spotrac projected Tagovailoa to garner a four-year, $220 million contract, worth $55 million a season, if the Dolphins extended him this offseason. The price will be even higher next offseason.
The Vikings are not in the market to pay a quarterback that kind of money — evidenced by the departure of Kirk Cousins this offseason. They’ve built an offense brimming with Pro Bowl talent around the quarterback position to create the best situation to develop a young quarterback into the face of their franchise.
The Justin Jefferson Scare Tactics Will Remain Until He Signs With Vikings
Tagovailoa is a proven quarterback in the league and would do well in the Vikings offense. He does offer stability in a time when the Vikings are turning over every stone to find the heir apparent after Cousins.
But Wright’s case was merely stability to keep Jefferson happy.
Jefferson was happy with putting up numbers early in his career, but as teams begin to double- and triple-team Jefferson to take him out of the game, He’s shown throughout his career that winning is his priority, and the numbers are secondary.
Jefferson had stability with Cousins, and it could only get the Vikings so far. Every year, they crossed their fingers that every draft pick was a hit to fortify a roster that did not have the cap space to splurge in free agency.
This offseason has already been a far cry from those days.
The signings of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman offer a massive boost to a defense that impressed in 2023 but fell apart in the final weeks due to a lack of depth.
There is a clear plan in place for the Vikings organization, and Jefferson is aware of the plan. It’s also in his best interest to sign an extension this offseason and not risk injury before he signs an extension that could reward him and his family over $100 million in guaranteed money.
The Vikings have a precedent of awarding lucrative contract extensions in the days ahead of training camp — and Jefferson’s is likely no exception.
But until then, the speculation and scare tactics surrounding Jefferson’s future and satisfaction at quarterback will remain at the forefront of the news cycle.
