Tua Tagovailoa isn’t leaving Miami anytime soon.
The 26-year-old quarterback and the Dolphins agreed to a four-year extension that’s worth $212.4 million – $167 million of which is guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The deal makes Tagovailoa the third-highest-paid signal-caller on a per-year basis in the NFL at $53.1 million, trailing only Joe Burrow ($55 million) and Trevor Lawrence ($55 million).
It’s the largest contract in Miami Dolphins history.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Alabama, Tagovaoila will now be in South Florida through his late 20s.
Since taking over as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season in 2020, Tagovailoa has gone 32-19 as the team’s QB1.
Tagovailoa took off as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in 2022 when head coach Mike McDaniel took over, transforming Miami’s offense into the high-flying powerhouse it is today.
Over the past two seasons under McDaniel, Tagovailoa has thrown for 8,172 yards with 54 touchdowns and a 102.9 passer rating, all of which rank top-five in the NFL over that period.
Injuries are the biggest question surrounding Tagovailoa’s NFL future – he missed time in each of his first seasons with the Dolphins after suffering multiple concussions.
Tagovailoa tampered some of those injury concerns in 2023, making his first Pro Bowl while leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and playing in all 17 games for the first time.
The southpaw quarterback is cashing in on a surging quarterback market.
Burrow, Goff, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Justin Herbert have all signed long-term deals upward of $50 million per year since last offseason.
The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and Packers’ Jordan Love will now take center stage as star-level, extension-eligible quarterbacks looking for a new deal ahead of the 2024 season.