MIAMI GARDENS — Mike McDaniel was asked if the Miami Dolphins organization is hedging on a commitment to Tua Tagovailoa in contract negotiations.

"I think in terms of hedging, I know as an organization we’ve prioritized it by entering in negotiations a long time ago," McDaniel said Wednesday.

It was the first day of training camp and it surely would have been better if Tua had attempted more than zero passes in 11-on-11 competition.

Tua update: Miami Dolphins sign Tua Tagovailoa to long-term contract extension

The Dolphins and Tua are playing nice as Tua and his agency and the Dolphins all allow Tua to express his discontent with the situation by sitting out some drills.

We understand both sides here.

Tua Tagovailoa and Miami Dolphins have good contract points

Tua has led the NFL in passing yards and passer rating. And he stayed healthy for the 2023 season.

But from the Dolphins' perspective, guaranteed money is a concern because of Tua's lengthy injury history, and that he's conceded he once considered retiring following concussions.

Tua is an excellent fit to operate McDaniel's offense.

Tua surely prefers Miami to say, somewhere with state taxes and the occasional blizzard.

He's got the perfect coach for him and the perfect weapons in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

There is no reason this shouldn't be worked out before the 2024 season kicks off in 45 days.

Franchise tagging Tua Tagovailoa in 2025 not great option

The Dolphins could play is safe and potentially tag Tua in 2025, though that wouldn't leave their quarterback in a great space mentally and emotionally in 2024.

Surely there's a happy landing place for all involved.

Let's take a look at which current quarterback contract seem to be reasonable comps.

Let's take a look at where we think Tua and the Dolphins could safely land – together.

Highest-paid NFL quarterbacks

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: $55 million a season, five years, $275 million total, 52% guaranteed at sign, 73% practical guarantee.

Joe Burrow, Bengals: $55 million a season, five years, $275 million, 53% guaranteed at sign, 80% practical guarantee.

Jared Goff, Lions: $53 million a season, four years, $212 million, 54% guaranteed at sign, 80% practical guarantee.

Justin Herbert, Chargers: $52.5 million a season, five years, $262.5 million, 51% guaranteed at sign, 83% practical guarantee.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens: $52 million a season, five years, $262 million, 52% guaranteed at sign, 71% practical guarantee.

Jalen Hurts, Eagles: $51 million a season, five years, $255 million, 43% guaranteed at sign, 70% practical guarantee.

To clarify here, money guaranteed at signing is money that the player will get, no matter what.

Money practically guaranteed at signing is money the player is likely to earn, if not let go sooner than expected.

We can guess the Dolphins would like to add a decent portion of the guarantees in the form of, say, roster bonuses, which Tua would earn only if on a roster before, for example, future seasons.

There's no reason Miami and Tua can't agree on a five-year deal.

There's no reason Miami and Tua can't agree on a deal between $51 and $55 million a season.

It probably comes down to guarantee percentages.

Burrow, Goff and Herbert have guarantee percentages that are probably close to what Tua's camp at Athletes First would like.

Lawrence, Jackson and Hurts have more potential guarantee flexibility, which the Dolphins probably would like.

These sides need each other, in my opinion.

Tua surely wants the security of guaranteed monies.

The Dolphins are willing to do so but are trying to go only so far.

So, considering the above contracts – how about this proposal:

Tua Tagovailoa

Five years

$53 million a season

$265 million total

51% guaranteed at sign

76% practical guarantee

This seems fair.

What say you, Dolphins and Tua?

Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: This should solve the Miami Dolphins-Tua Tagovailoa contract dispute | Schad