Tua Tagovailoa is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract with the Miami Dolphins.

The quarterback remains without a long-term deal, but Mike McDaniel has expressed optimism about where things are headed.

McDaniel said at a press conference on Tuesday that he is "very encouraged" about how talks with Tagovailoa are progressing.

"Both his representation and our organization are hard at work," McDaniel said. "Those timelines are impossible to predict. My main concern this offseason has been communicating what Tua needs from his head coach and his offensive coaching staff, which is what things can we identify to continue the progression of your game the same way that we have since Day One."

The Miami Dolphins are planning to release veteran defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on Friday, a source tells ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The move will save the Dolphins close to $14 million in cap space.

The Dolphins hired Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator, the team announced Saturday, ending a 10-day coaching search.

Weaver most recently served as the defensive line coach and associate head coach for the Baltimore Ravens, where he'd been since 2021. The former second-round pick played for the Ravens and Houston Texans during his seven-year NFL career.