Here’s the latest installment of our Miami Dolphins Q&A, where South Florida Sun Sentinel writers David Furones and Chris Perkins answer questions from readers.

Q: What’s Tua’s extension price looking like right now? — @nick_3273 on X (Twitter)

It starts to get interesting assuming Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy and consistently put up elite passing performances like Sunday’s 466-yard, three-touchdown outing.

He has moved up as a co-favorite in MVP odds with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to DraftKings. And, if you recall last year, he was in the MVP mix until the rough December and second concussion protocol stint that cut his season short.

Tagovailoa shined in Week 1 while the Chargers’ Justin Herbert had half the yardage total and Joe Burrow struggled for the Bengals in a loss to the Browns. Burrow just scored his record-breaking five-year, $275 million contract Thursday, and Herbert inked a $262.5 million deal over the same timespan when training camp started.

The Dolphins, once comfortable enough with Tagovailoa’s consistency and durability, previously may have been eyeing the Daniel Jones range of quarterback contract, into the $40 million per year realm. But if Tagovailoa keeps this up, he may be getting into the 50s, the way Burrow and Herbert are.

Of course, this is *if* Tagovailoa makes it through a full season, which he still has to prove.

Tagovailoa is slated to make just more than $9.6 million this season, and he’s on for a fifth-year contract option number of around $23.2 million in 2024. He and the Dolphins have said they are not focused on contract talks during the season and will revisit the matter in the coming offseason, before Tagovailoa enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Q: Why isn’t Coach calling more running plays? Yes, I know he has Tua, Hill and Waddle. — @MonkeyCoitus on X

Twenty runs to 45 pass attempts.

Mike McDaniel has said he wants to commit to running the ball more. I thought it could be a vital component to the game plan against the Chargers defense that was effective stopping the pass to the middle of the field in their previous matchup.

But I think you answered part of it in your question. McDaniel also believes in taking what the defense gives him, so he wants the right look to run against, as he noted when I asked a similar question Friday before the game.

He also doesn’t have Jeff Wilson Jr., on injured reserve for the first four weeks of the season, nor had rookie De’Von Achane active. I liked how Raheem Mostert was running the ball early, but McDaniel saw the opportunities through the air. There was that one third-and-2 in the second quarter where the Dolphins went to the air, bringing back memories of last season in short-yardage situations.

Q: Are we done experimenting at LG? — @JacobRatner12 on X

I’d think Isaiah Wynn is locked in as the team’s starting left guard unless injury takes him out of that post, or a stretch of several consecutive poor games.

Never really considered it too much experimentation, but rather, the Dolphins felt there was a competitive advantage to concealing who was starting between Wynn and Liam Eichenberg coming off the preseason. The results of the competition seemed pretty evident throughout camp, especially with Eichenberg missing critical time due to his ribs injury.

Q: Any idea why David Long didn’t play much? — @savin0o on X

Long started but ended up with only 17 defensive snaps. He seemed shaky early, somehow matched up with wide receiver Keenan Allen on a big L.A. pass play and also may have contributed to the lack of run defense, especially with a poor fit on Austin Ekeler’s long run up the middle. The Dolphins spent most of the game in nickel packages, too, and Long was an odd linebacker out, while Andrew Van Ginkel certainly took plays from him. McDaniel and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to be asked about this in the coming week.

Have a question?

Email David Furones, or tag @ChrisPerk or @DavidFurones_ on X (Twitter).