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."