The Miami Dolphins made somewhat of a surprising decision and have attached themselves to Tua for the long run.
The Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with $167.1 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Friday, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
The $53.1 million-per-year new-money extension is the largest four-year agreement in NFL history, barely topping Jared Goff’s $53 million pact with the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason and just behind the $55 million per over five years on Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow’s and Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence’s contracts.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile hammering out the final details of the contract, Tagovailoa was limited in his participation in the first couple of days of training camp but was all in during Friday’s session, meaning the negotiations were on the move and heading in the right direction.
The former No. 5 overall pick in 2020 out of the University of Alabama, was entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. The extension keeps him under contract in Miami through the 2028 campaign.
Despite lingering outside questions concerning Tua’s future in Miami from fans and media alike, general manager Chris Grier and the coaching staff never publicly wavered in their hopes and confidence of locking down the former Alabama southpaw to a long-term, big-money deal.
Since coach Mike McDaniel took over the reins in Miami from Brian Flores, Tagovailoa has taken the bull by the horns and thrived. In the past two years, the 26-year-old has ranked second in the NFL in pass yards per attempt (8.5) and passer rating (102.9), fourth in total passing yards (8,172) and fifth in passing touchdowns (54).
The Dolphins have been a well-oiled machine, putting up 27.6 points per game with the lefty as the starter and a dramatic decline, 16.3 PPG in four games that Tagovailoa missed due to injury in the last two seasons; two starts each from Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater, who is now retired.
Was it a big mistake for them to show him this kind of money? Injuries have hampered Tua’s first three seasons as he has missed time each campaign, including several concussions. In 2023, he put his supreme talent on display and ability to stay healthy, leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while playing in all 17 games.
With the contract questions now in the rearview mirror, Tagovailoa, McDaniel, and the rest of the Dolphins’ explosive offense can give their full attention to the mission at hand, making more magic in 2024.
