Dolphins Secure Tua Tagovailoa with Major Contract Extension

The Miami Dolphins have made a big commitment to their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, agreeing to a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million. This deal, which includes an impressive $167.1 million guaranteed, was reported by NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

This new extension makes Tagovailoa one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, with an annual average of $53.1 million. It’s the second-largest four-year contract in NFL history, just slightly behind that of some of the league’s other top quarterbacks.

In addition to the hefty salary, Tagovailoa’s deal comes with performance incentives that could push his annual earnings up to $55.35 million, bringing the total possible value of the contract to $221.4 million.

Recently, Tagovailoa has been participating actively in training camp, signaling that the negotiations were headed in the right direction. He was originally entering the final year of his rookie contract, but this new agreement secures his place with the Dolphins through the 2028 season.

Despite earlier doubts regarding his long-term future with the team, Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier and the coaching staff never lost faith in Tagovailoa. Since Mike McDaniel took over as head coach, Tua’s performance has significantly improved; he ranked second in the NFL for passing yards per attempt and passer rating in the past two seasons.

In the past couple of years, Tua has amassed impressive stats, throwing for over 8,000 total passing yards and leading the league with 4,624 passing yards last season. The Dolphins, with Tagovailoa at the helm, have demonstrated strong offensive potential, scoring an average of 27.6 points per game when he starts.

While injuries plagued Tagovailoa in his first three seasons, his performance has shown significant improvement. In 2023, he demonstrated his ability to stay healthy by playing every game of the season, dispelling previous concerns about his durability.

With the contract negotiations now behind them, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins can focus on the upcoming 2024 season, aiming to build on their previous successes and continue to develop their explosive offensive capabilities.