Lamar Jackson rumored to be option for Dolphins

Whispers round the opportunity of the Miami Dolphins changing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson refuse to go away.

“It appears plain to me the Dolphins are delaying their Tagovailoa resolution as near the Could 1 deadline as attainable ready for motion within the Jackson/Baltimore stalemate,” Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote wrote on Thursday. “And that’s sensible. As I wrote lately, you will be pro-Tua, as I’ve been and nonetheless am, and nonetheless imagine Jackson is a generational expertise and franchise-changer it’s essential to pursue.”

Cote provided his take as rumors proceed to burn brilliant, sparked largely by the truth that Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and normal supervisor Chris Grier have made it recognized they are not but prepared to select up the fifth-year possibility hooked up to Tagovailoa’s rookie contract or signal him to a long-term contract. 

Miami has till Could 1 to resolve on the aforementioned possibility. The Dolphins declining it will put Tagovailoa on monitor to succeed in free company in March of 2024. 

Well being considerations determine to be a serious a part of the group’s inside discussions. Tagovailoa suffered at the very least two recognized concussions this previous season and missed Miami’s remaining three video games, together with the playoffs, whereas moored within the concussion protocol via your complete month of January. He has a historical past of accidents — and notable ones — courting again to at the very least his school time with Alabama.

There isn’t any indication the Ravens and Jackson are near signing the kind of absolutely assured contract the 2019 NFL Most Beneficial Participant allegedly needs. It is extensively believed he is trying to higher the absolutely assured five-year, $230 million deal Deshaun Watson acquired from the Cleveland Browns final offseason. 

Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio and NFL insider Jason La Canfora are amongst in-the-know people who’ve linked Jackson with the Dolphins this winter. Florio wrote on Jan. 18 that “some imagine that Jackson wish to return to his hometown of Miami and play for the Dolphins” and likewise that the Ravens might use the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain the signal-caller’s rights. That might enable a staff reminiscent of Miami to signal Jackson to a suggestion sheet, whereas the Ravens would reap a pair of first-round picks ought to they choose to not signal and match.

“He would command a monetary windfall to equal or surpass the highest-paid QBs, with most or all of it assured,” Cote added about Jackson. “To not point out these two first-round picks. I’d nonetheless do it, as I lately wrote. Others agree.”