Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins' quarterback, has agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the team. This makes it the richest contract in franchise history with $167 million guaranteed.
Tagovailoa joined Ryan Tannehill as the only quarterbacks to re-sign with Miami since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season.
In 2023, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards with a career-high of 4,624 and played a full season for the first time in his career. Since Mike McDaniel's arrival as head coach, Tagovailoa has thrown for the fourth-most passing yards (8,172) and fifth-most touchdowns (54) in the NFL with a 102.9 passer rating and 67.4% completion percentage.
However, Tagovailoa's deal may hinder Miami's ability to bring back other key players at market value as their contracts come due.
Tagovailoa missed time each of his first three seasons with injuries, including multiple concussions. But in 2023, he showcased his promise and ability to stay healthy by leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while playing all 17 games.
The Dolphins have scored an average of 27.6 points per game with Tagovailoa as the starter compared to only 16.3 PPG in four games that he missed due to injury in the last two seasons.
Despite some concerns about his future with the team, Miami's general manager Chris Grier and coaching staff never wavered in their hopes of locking down Tagovailoa for a long-term deal.