‘The proof is in the pudding,’ says Jaylen Waddle with Miami Dolphins receiver adamant Tua Tagovailoa will sign new contract

MIAMI Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle just secured a big payday and thinks his quarterback will be next.

Waddle is now earning one of the top five wide receiver salaries in the NFL after agreeing to a three-year, $84.5 million extension with the Dolphins.

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The team likely isn’t done opening the checkbook yet, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is playing in the final year of his 2024 rookie contract.

Tua was taken with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the Dolphins picked up his fifth-year option this year to buy themselves some time to work on an extension.

Last year may have proven to the Dolphins that Tua can be the leader of the offense under head coach Mike McDaniel.

He led the league in yards with 4,624 and passed for 29 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

Since McDaniel joined the team in 2022, Tua has 8,172 total yards and 54 touchdowns.

With the combination of Tua and McDaniel, the Dolphins made the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Those teams had Dave Wannstedt coaching and Jay Fiedler at quarterback.

Tua’s growth under McDaniel and his presence as a leader has not gone unnoticed, and Jaylen Waddle shared that the team views him as “our guy.”

“I think the proof is in the pudding,” Waddle told The US Sun.

“The proof is in the film. You will watch his seasons since Mike [McDaniel] I’ve been here and it’s been great.

“The team really believes he’s our guy and ultimately it’s his team.”

Tua and Dolphins have not yet reached an agreement, but both sides want to reach an agreement.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said in February that he has been in constant communication with Tua about a contract.

“We’ve been in communication since the start of the offseason,” Grier said.

“Our goal is to try to do something… We’ll see. There’s no timeline for it. At the end of the day, you know how these deals are done. They’re complicated deals.“

Waddle doesn’t seem worried about any deal falling through and expressed confidence that Tua will be his quarterback for years to come.

“I think eventually, if both parties make sense, the deal will get done,” Waddle said.

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If Tua and the Dolphins reach an agreement before the start of the 2024 season, it would be a huge deal.

The value of the quarterback market has been steadily rising and Tua will likely redefine the market.

Jared Goff signed a four-year, $212 million extension with the Detroit Lions last month to continue as the team’s quarterback.

Tua is aware of the growing quarterback market, but spoke at Dolphins OTAs about how he isn’t worried about a deal being completed.

“I’m not blind to people who are in my position and who are getting paid,” he said.

“Am I worried about that? I’m not worried about that, but there’s a lot of discussion we’ve had that we’re just trying to move this in the right direction where we can both be happy.”

It is anticipated that Tua could receive a four-year contract worth more than $220 million if he reaches a deal with the Dolphins.

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