Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has put in years of effort to get to his life-changing second contract. However, the wait for the final series of negotiations might be the most painful stretch for Tagovailoa’s fans.
One teammate set sky-high expectations for the quarterback’s new salary.
Tagovailoa’s teammate, offensive tackle Terron Armstead, made an appearance on the Ross Tucker Podcast and said he expected Tagovailoa to set records with his new deal.
“That’s my little brother,” Armstead said. “We’ve talked through numerous situations. … He is going to be one of the highest paid ever. … He is an elite QB.”
Armstead has played with Tagovailoa for two seasons, so the soon-to-be-33-year-old has seen the best the quarterback has had to offer.
However, Armstead was not present for Tagovailoa’s first two NFL campaigns when the signal-caller had yet to break out. Tagovailoa was rather pedestrian at that point, which may explain the Dolphins’ hesitancy to pay him. His concussion troubles in the past don’t help, either.
Last season, Tagovailoa led the league with 4,624 passing yards and threw for a career-best completion percentage of 69.3 percent. But he posted just barely more than a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That, coupled with his inability to win a playoff game, handed the Dolphins plenty of reasons to reconsider the size of his extension.
Tua Tagovailoa stuck with tough sell to become highest-paid quarterback
If Tagovailoa becomes the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, it would also make him the most expensive player in league history.
Of course, with contracts organized and paid out in various ways, the bar can be placed in a variety of places. Here’s a look at just how high the bar currently is, per Spotrac. Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow lead the league in AAV with $55 million due in 2024.
However, those names are written at the top in pencil. That is because there is a high probability that Dak Prescott will emerge as the league’s first $60 million per season quarterback. As such, if Tagovailoa were to become the highest-paid ever, he would need to earn more than at least $55 million. If he wanted to stay at the top for an extended period of time, he would need to earn more than $60 million to have a chance.
By another metric, Patrick Mahomes has the largest total contract with the longest length in the league. Mahomes is playing on a ten-year, $450 million contract. Meaning, if Tagovailoa wanted to trump both Prescott and Mahomes, he would need to earn at least $60 million per season on an 11-year contract. By default, that would place the value at $660 million.
While Armstead meant well with his words, being the highest-paid quarterback at that level would be stunning.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
