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Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
MIAMI — For just the second time since Dan Marino retired, the Miami Dolphins have signed a quarterback to a multi-year contract extension.
Tua Tagovailoa has signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract with the Dolphins, including $167 million guaranteed, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s the richest contract in franchise history, and the guaranteed money is the eighth-highest among NFL quarterbacks.
It also ends a two-day standoff between Tagovailoa and the team, during which he was a minimal participant in Miami’s training camp practices.
Tagovailoa joins Ryan Tannehill as the only quarterbacks to re-sign with Miami since Marino retired after the 1999 season. Tagovailoa, selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in 2020, is also the fourth quarterback in the 2020 draft class to sign an extension with the team that drafted him, joining Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts.
“We believe in him very much. And you all feel the passion that coach Mike McDaniel has for him when he talks about him,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said in February. “Just in the two years that he’s done what he’s done, he’s progressed in areas where he’s led the league in assists and done some big things this year. And we all think he can go even further.”
“The way he’s approached this and his desire to be great, and the combination of Mike and his work with that and that trust and belief in each other, we think there’s another level he could reach.”
The Dolphins have publicly supported Tagovailoa over the past two years under McDaniel, but offered their biggest show of faith yet by handing out the new deal.
Here’s how the two sides got to this point.
Why did the Dolphins commit to Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa has been unremarkable in his first two NFL seasons, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 4,467 yards and 22 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in 2020 and 2021.
He flourished under McDaniel, completing 67.4 percent of his passes. The former Alabama player led the NFL in passing yards in 2023 with a career-high 4,624, playing a full season for the first time in his career (more on that later).
His fellow draft picks had stronger starts, but Tagovailoa’s first two years in Miami were marked by a lack of continuity. The Dolphins went through three offensive coordinators and two quarterbacks coaches in those first two seasons before hiring McDaniel in February 2022.
Since McDaniel’s arrival, Tagovailoa has thrown for the fourth-most passing yards (8,172) and fifth-most touchdowns (54) in the NFL. Tagovailoa’s 102.9 passer rating and 67.4% completion percentage also rank second and fifth in the league, respectively.
The Dolphins have fielded 25 different quarterbacks since Marino retired at the turn of the century, but Miami believes Tagovailoa is the cornerstone of its franchise and has rewarded him as such.
Is there any risk in the long-term agreement?
Heading into the 2023 season, there was some skepticism about Tagovailoa’s ability to stay healthy for an entire season — skepticism he dealt with by altering his offseason preparation.
Tagovailoa bulked up to 225 pounds and trained in a jiu-jitsu class to learn how to keep his head from hitting the ground like it did three times in 2022. It worked, and he finished the 2023 season without any serious injuries.
But while Tagovailoa thrived within the structure McDaniel built, he struggled to create when plays broke down. He ranked third in quarterback rating when attempting a pass under 2.5 seconds (78.9). Beyond 2.5 seconds, he dropped to 16th (43.2).
His off-target percentage doubled on passes that took more than 2.5 seconds to throw, from 11.2% to 22.1%. Given his concussion history, teams don’t fear him as a runner; he has five first downs on the ground in 2023, which ranks 41st among qualifying quarterbacks.
Tagovailoa’s accuracy and anticipation are his strong points. His playmaking abilities are inferior to some of his peers, such as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, but the Dolphins are banking on his strengths outweighing his weaknesses going forward.
What took so long?
The negotiations left Tagovailoa “nervous” as he watched the Detroit Lions sign quarterback Jared Goff to a four-year, $212 million contract with $170 million guaranteed.
The feeling didn’t fade after the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million contract extension with up to $200 million in guaranteed money.
Tagovailoa was absent for part of the team’s offseason program before the mandatory minicamp — which he attended in its entirety — and kept an eye on how quarterback contracts were handled this offseason.
“I’m not blind to people who are in my position and getting paid,” he said. “Do I care? I don’t, but we’ve talked about it a lot. We’re just trying to move things in the right direction so everybody’s happy.”
The guaranteed money — which ultimately totaled $167 million — in Tagovailoa’s contract could have been a point of contention throughout the negotiation process, a management source told ESPN in May. Concerns about Tagovailoa’s durability were widespread heading into the 2023 season, but he played all 18 games for the Dolphins last season and seemingly debunked those concerns.
What does this mean for the Dolphins’ Super Bowl window?
It’s still open, but it’s time to take advantage.
Miami now has top-tier offensive players signed for the near future in Tagovailoa, receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, and running back De’Von Achane. The NFL’s top-ranked offense last season also signed veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie receivers Malik Washington and Tahj Washington.
With some adjustments and good health, Miami’s offensive line is good enough to give its playmakers time to make an impact.
On defense, the Dolphins have several key young players under team control, as well as a veteran star in Jalen Ramsey. But time is running out. Sooner or later, those budding stars will need contracts, and Tagovailoa’s contract will ultimately hamper Miami’s ability to bring everyone back on contracts that are considered market value.
The AFC has a talented array of quarterbacks that Miami must overcome to reach its first Super Bowl since 1984. It believes that with Tagovailoa at center, it has enough power to do so.