Miami has what it takes to contend for a Super Bowl berth, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier thinks, so the NFL team isn’t going to have Tua Tagovailoa deal with a contract “distraction” during the 2023 season.

With three seasons in the NFL, the former Alabama All-American is eligible for a contract extension to his original four-year rookie contract, signed after he joined the Dolphins as the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a former Crimson Tide teammate of Tagovailoa, signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension this offseason after his third NFL campaign.

But as a second-round choice in the 2020 draft, Hurts could have been a free agent – or more likely a franchise-tag candidate – next offseason. As a first-round pick, Tagovailoa had a team option for a fifth season on his contract, which the Dolphins exercised this offseason. That guaranteed Tagovailoa a payday of $23.171 million for the 2024 NFL season.

Miami might have been able to sign Tagovailoa to a long-term contract that could have been a little more salary-cap friendly than the option payday will be – and they still could. But Grier said that would be an issue for next offseason.

“I just think for him, it’s just letting Tua play,” Grier said this week. “Again, those things can be a big distraction. You have family, friends, you guys, everyone constantly asking about it. His agents and I have had discussions, just general but not really about that. We just kind of agreed let’s just let him play out the season, and then we’ll attack that in the offseason.”

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Miami had more active discussions about a contract extension for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who is about to play on the option year of his contract.

To press the issue, Wilkins staged a “hold-in,” during which he did not participate in team periods in practice at training camp or play in preseason games. But he didn’t get the contract extension and has returned to a full workload with the Dolphins preparing to open the season on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“In terms of Christian, we’ve had a lot of great dialogue with him and his agent,” Grier said. “Very positive. We made an offer that we thought was fair. And there’s times when you do things like that, it has to work for both sides, so there was never any ill-will from each side. …

“For right now, we’re going to hold off until, in my mind, at the end of the season, because I don’t think it’s fair to distract Christian from his goal of what he wants to achieve and for the team.”

Tagovailoa and Wilkins are members of a roster that Grier said has what it takes to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

“I think we compete with them,” Grier said. “It’ll be to be determined this season, but we do. We feel good about the players. Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff do a fantastic job. I think this group is a very close group that’s focused. They’ve had a great camp in here and working together. It’s a very close unit, and it’s fun to be around them, and they enjoy being around each other. And I think that’s always a big key when you’re building a team.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.