The uncertainty is now behind us. On Sunday, Tua Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension with the Dolphins. This outcome gave everyone in the Miami franchise peace of mind.
The 26-year-old Hawaiian-born quarterback practiced with the team for the first time that day after signing his new commitment and said he was a true believer and thanked God for the opportunity he had given him.
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“Now it’s time to win playoff games and titles,” Tua said after the deal was made official. “Right now I’m the highest-paid employee in the franchise and I have to lead my teammates in the direction we need.”
Last season, Tua played at a high level and that was decisive in his aspiration for a commitment that exceeds $50 million annually.
In 2023, the quarterback was a Pro Bowl starter and became the first Dolphins player since Dan Marino in 1992 to lead the league in passing with 4,624 yards on the season.
He also finished fifth in passing rating with an average of 101.1 in touchdown passes with 29 and second in yards per pass with 8.3.
That performance and the exorbitant prices paid in the sport in the United States contributed to reaching the figure that Tua agreed to with the Dolphins.
Also last week, the Green Bay Packers gave quarterback Jordan Love a 4-year, $220 million contract extension. Those are market prices.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel was instrumental in the deal and received much gratitude from Tua, who also extended it to franchise owner Stephen Ross, general manager Chris Grier, and vice president Brandon Shore.
McDaniel said Tua is fully prepared to handle the enormous demands he will face from fans after signing such a large contract.
“Being a quarterback in the NFL is like standing on a hot rock,” the coach said.
“Tua is very aware of all this and, like his other teammates, he is aware of the pressures and expectations that fall on them.”
Some players said contract negotiations are an inherent part of the NFL and you have to adapt and not worry.
“Part of the game is business,” wide receiver Braxton Berrios said.
“When you know how to detach things and focus on football, you take the pressure off yourself.”
Berrios added that the team sees Tua as their leader and that they knew that at the end of the day, both parties would reach an agreement, which is what happened.
Tua admitted that it affected him a lot while negotiations for his contract extension were stalled and he did not train with the team.
“Those were tough times for me,” the quarterback explained.
“I am a player who needs to do repetitions on the court to know what I need to improve. There is also communication with the group. These are things that need to be practiced.”
Finally, Tua commented that he wouldn’t change Miami for anything in the world.
“I grew up in a similar place because in Hawaii there is a diversity of cultures,” the quarterback explained.
“There are Asians, Polynesians there, and Hispanics here. The climate, food, and taxes are also similar. You can’t find a better place.”
