Patrick Mahomes falls on NFL’s highest-paid QB list after Tua Tagovailoa’s $212.4 million contract extension with Dolphins

TUA Tagovailoa signed a huge contract to stay with the Miami Dolphins.

Tua was scheduled to play 2024 in the final year of his rookie contract, but the Dolphins signed him to a four-year extension.

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Tua and the Dolphins agreed to a four-year, $212 million extension to keep him in Miami through the 2028 season.

His huge contract puts him ahead of some elite NFL quarterbacks.

Tua is now the third-highest-paid quarterback in annual value at $53 million per year, behind only Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow, who each earn $55 million per year.

Behind Tua are players like Justin Herbert at $52.5 million, Lamar Jackson at $52 million and Jalen Hurts at $51 million.

The most surprising of all these names is Patrick Mahomes, who isn’t even a high-paid quarterback anymore thanks to Tua’s deal.

At $45 million a year, Mahomes is tied for the 10th-highest-paid quarterback in the league, even after winning back-to-back Super Bowls.

The Dolphins have continually expressed faith in Tua as their franchise quarterback and have continually expressed a desire to sign him to an extension.

After the 2023 season concluded, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier explained how much the team loves the duo of head coach Mike McDaniel and Tua.

“We firmly believe in him. And you all feel [coach Mike McDaniel’s] passion for him when he talks about him,” Grier said.

“Just the two years he’s done it, he’s grown in areas where he led the league in passing and he’s done some great things this year. And we all feel like there’s still another level he can reach.

“The way he attacked that and wants to be great, and the combination of Mike and working with that and that trust and belief in each other, we think there’s still another level he could reach.”

Ultimately, the Dolphins gave Tua the ultimate sign of faith by signing him to a big-ticket deal.

The contract includes $167 million guaranteed, the eighth-most guaranteed money among NFL quarterbacks.

Tua’s contract is now the largest ever awarded in Dolphins history.

For perspective, Hall of Famer Dan Marino earned $51 million in his entire 17-year tenure with the Dolphins. Tua will make $53 million in the 2025 season alone.

One detail of Tua’s contract that may go unnoticed, but is extremely important, is that it keeps him paired with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle through the 2028 season.

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The two were teammates at Alabama before becoming teammates with the Dolphins, and they formed an elite duo, even with Tyreek Hill catching plenty of catches.

In three seasons, Waddle and Tua have combined for 3,385 yards and 19 touchdowns, a strong showing that the Dolphins hope will continue for the next three years.

Hill will continue to play alongside them through at least the 2026 season, but he has also expressed a desire to extend his contract with the Dolphins.

“The only thing I said to (agent) Drew (Rosenhaus) was, ‘Don’t let me get traded, bro. Last time you did that, you traded me,'” Hill said in training camp on Tuesday .

“That’s been my only thing for him. I want to stay here in Miami, man. This is where the family is now. Everybody loves it here, the family loves it, the wife loves it, the kids love it.

“Obviously, I love coaching [Mike McDaniel], and my teammates are amazing. I wouldn’t want to leave, man.”

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