(EDITORS NOTE: graphic by USA TODAY Sports) Apr 23, 2020; Tua Tagovailoa is selected as the number five overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins earlier this week locked up rookie No. 5 pick Tua Tagovailoa on a standard four-year, $30.28 million contract.
Rookie deals have been somewhat anticlimactic under the current collective bargaining agreement which calls for a rookie wage scale depending on where a player was drafted.
Though, Tua’s deal is interesting in that it’s considered front-loaded in comparison to other rookie contracts. The deal calls for a nearly $20 million signing bonus.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Miami will actually pay Tagovailoa $11.5 million before the end of the month.
That’s just crazy. North of $11 million before the former Alabama standout has even taken to the field for practice. What’s even crazier here is the fact that Tua is coming off a serious hip injury he suffered late in his final season with the Crimson Tide.
The Fins obviously took a risk by selecting Tua with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They are now backing up the Brinks Truck for the talented signal caller.