After such a promising start to the 2023 season, the Miami Dolphins hopes of playing in their first Super Bowl since 1985 flamed out in Kansas City on Saturday night. Actually, given how bitterly cold it was at Arrowhead Stadium during the Dolphins 26-7 loss to the Chiefs, maybe it's more accurate to say that Miami's Super Bowl hopes, like Andy Reid's mustache, froze over. Either way, weather-related quips aside, Miami now heads into the 2024 offseason, and by far the biggest development to monitor will be when the Dolphins sign quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a contract extension.

Unlike Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, the two other quarterbacks that were selected with top ten picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tua Tagovailoa has yet to sign a long-term contract extension. After the loss to the Chiefs — a subpar game for the league's leading passer, who threw for only 199 yards, only his third game all season with under 200 passing yards — Tua was asked about the status of his extension. 

“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Tua said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “I have full confidence in what I can do for this franchise. I’m not worried about it right now.”

What Tua has done for the Miami Dolphins franchise is lead them to consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in over twenty years. In these last two seasons, Tua has thrown for 8,172 yards, 54 touchdowns to only 22 interceptions, completed 67% of his passes, and won 19 out of his 30 starts.

Before the season began, when Tagovailoa was asked about a contract extension, he said, “I think for myself, I’m always a person that wants to prove to myself that I deserve whatever I get. So for me, I feel like this is something that I need to work for. It’s as plain and simple as that.” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

Personally, I would say Tua has more than earned the extension, but ultimately, what I have to say about it doesn't matter. Someone whose take on the situation does matter is Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who with just four words, said more about Tua's involvement in the long-term plans of the Miami Dolphins than I could in 400.

“He's my guy, man.” (h/t Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post).

If that's how Mike McDaniel feels, then a deal is going to be made soon enough.