Heading into training camp, there were serious doubts about whether the Miami Dolphins would sign Tua Tagovailoa to a contract extension. This caused the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback to be selective with his practice participation in hopes of avoiding injury ahead of a contract year.
Then, on Friday, the Dolphins surprisingly signed Tagovailoa to a record-setting four-year contract worth up to $212 million. He’s now one of the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
So, what moved the needle for the Dolphins? Why did they suddenly decide to pay the 26-year-old one-time Pro Bowler?
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Mike McDaniel convinced Miami Dolphins ownership to pay Tua Tagovailoa now
According to Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel “went to bat” for him, asking team ownership to pay their star quarterback instead of letting the situation linger on.
“He went to bat for me. The day that I went out and practiced 11-on-11, 7-on-7, he went to bat for me with our owner, and I won’t go into details of things that I heard were said. Just know, he is what he says. He said what he told me, and he did what I was thinking he would do for me — and not just for me — but for any other player. I’m very grateful for that.”
Tua Tagovailoa
Had the Dolphins not signed Tagovailoa, they would have run the risk of letting the left-handed QB enter free agency this next offseason. As the Minnesota Vikings experienced, letting a top quarterback test the market leads to even more inflated costs. Clearly, the Dolphins wanted to avoid making that gamble after Tagovailoa started all 17 games for the first time in his career.
Now, Tagovailoa is locked in through the 2028 season, where he’ll continue to lead one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses alongside Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane.
Related: See where Tua Tagovailoa lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings