For the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa fifth year option is a no-brainer. Right?

For the Miami Dolphins, decision time is coming on whether they intend to pick up quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option.

As a refresher, when a team selects a player in the first round of the NFL draft, the standard rookie contract is for 4-years with a team option for a 5th year. That 5th-year team option must be exercised prior to the 4th year of the player’s contract.

Typically, when faced with a 5th-year option decision, we typically see one of a few things take place:

• The team declines the option because the player flat out isn’t in their long-term plans.
• The team declines the option because they aren’t sure if the player is part of their long-term plans (ie. Daniel Jones). The thought here is maybe he’ll earn another contract but if he doesn’t, the breakup is clean.
• The team picks up the 5th year option to get an extended look at the player before a contract extension conversation begins.
• The team picks up the 5th-year option and converts that into a contract extension, with the minimum guarantees for the first year of that extension beating the 5th-year option cost.

When it comes to Tua Tagovailoa, who is up for a 5th-year option this offseason, picking it up is probably a no-brainer, right? Right?

How much are we talking about?

First, it’s important to recognize what Tua’s 5th-year option would cost. According to Albert Breer, Tua’s 5th-year option would come in at $23,171.000 for a non-pro bowl quarterback. This information was just recently shared with teams regarding the 2020 first-round picks.

That salary would put Tua as the 15th highest-paid quarterback in average annual value (AAV)

How does $23M compare to other quarterbacks?

I mentioned that $23M would result in Tua being the 15th highest-paid quarterback in the NFL according to Spotract.

Let’s take a look at the contracts for the top 14 highest-paid starting quarterbacks in the NFL – as you go through the list, ask yourself if you’d rather have that player or Tua. I think this is an important place to start to put a potential fifth-year option into perspective.

1. Aaron Rodgers, 39, $50,271,667
2. Russell Wilson, 34, $48,517,647
3. Kyler Murray, 25, $46,100,000
4. Deshaun Watson, 27, $46,000,000
5. Patrick Mahomes, 27, $45,000,000
6. Josh Allen, 26, $43,005,667
7. Derek Carr, 31, $40,500,000
8. Dak Prescott, 29,$40,000,000
9. Matthew Stafford, 35,$40,000,000
10. Kirk Cousins, 34, $35,000,000
11. Jared Goff, 28,$33,500,000
12. Carson Wentz, 30, $32,000,000
13. Matt Ryan, 37,$30,000,000
14. Ryan Tannehill, 34, $29,500,000

When you look at that list and the cost associated with a high-end quarterback, that cost is much higher than that of the 5th-year options for Tua (24). Honestly, some of those names aren’t even high-end quarterbacks and they’re making more money than Tua would under the 5th-year option.

If you’re the Miami Dolphins, of course you pick up the 5th-year option!

When you look at the cost of the option, Tua’s play on the field and the sky-high potential he brings, picking up the 5th-year option for the young signal-caller out of Hawaii becomes a no-brainer. I get it – his health remains a concern. However, some risks are just worth taking.

If you’re still unsure, try thinking about it this way:

• Worst case scenario? He plays out the 5th-year option and the team moves on the year after. Maybe he’s even holding down the spot while a 2024 rookie is developing.
• Best case scenario? You got a high-end starting-caliber quarterback for another year at a steep discount.

What do you think? If you’re Miami, are you exercising that option? Are you willing to chance it and let him play out his 4th season? Let’s talk about it in the comments.