Ben Child
Brooke Pryor
Brooke Pryor
ESPN Employees Author
Beforehand coated the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs for the Kansas Metropolis Star and Oklahoma College for the Oklahoman.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa grabbed the mic at observe on Sunday to ship a message that was successfully a celebration.
“Present me the cash!” Tagovailoa exclaimed earlier than he thanked the followers for attending.
Afterward, Tagovailoa continued to specific his thankfulness on the day he formally signed his four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins.
The deal makes him the highest-paid participant in franchise historical past and fifth highest in NFL historical past in common annual wage. In his information convention after observe, the fifth-year quarterback stated he understands that along with his new paycheck, there’s additionally the expectation of creating deep postseason runs.
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“I am the highest-paid worker on this workplace,” Tagovailoa advised reporters. “I obtained to get my no matter collectively. I obtained to get that proper and get our guys shifting within the course that we have to go to have the ability to do these issues.”
Earlier than the 2 sides agreed to phrases Friday, Tagovailoa was slated to enter the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract following a profession 12 months. He led the NFL in passing yards final season, totaled a career-high 29 touchdowns and began for the AFC in his first Professional Bowl look.
On Sunday, Tagovailoa stated he knew every little thing was official when coach Mike McDaniel and basic supervisor Chris Grier stopped by the quarterbacks’ room, peeked by means of the door and nodded their heads in silence. Then, McDaniel squeezed his beginning quarterback so laborious that Tagovailoa spilled his espresso.
“I am fired up for the group, actually fired up for Tua and the work he is completed to obtain one thing like that,” McDaniel advised reporters Sunday. “I feel it is a cool validation for positive.”
Along with his household in attendance, together with his 2-year-old son, Ace, roaming behind him, Tagovailoa spoke at size about his journey from being a high highschool recruit in Hawaii to enjoying faculty soccer at Alabama after which making it to the league.
Tagovailoa famously entered halftime of the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship Sport to guide Alabama to an time beyond regulation win over Georgia in January 2018. However his profession with the Crimson Tide ended abruptly when he suffered a season-ending hip damage in 2019.
He was taken fifth general within the 2020 draft, behind Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and one choose forward of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who every earned contract extensions earlier than the beginning of final season.
Tagovailoa stated that when he made his NFL debut in Week 6 of his rookie 12 months, he was grateful to be on the sector and wasn’t envisioning the nine-figure extension he signed Sunday.
“There have been so many unknowns all through that offseason as I obtained drafted: ‘Is he going to have the ability to play the identical? Is he going to have the ability to run? Is he going to have the ability to transfer?’
“There have been plenty of doubts, and as I went in there, I used to be simply grateful that I used to be capable of play NFL snaps.”
However as a lot as he mirrored on the previous after he formally inked the deal, Tagovailoa acknowledged what’s forward.
The Dolphins have made the playoffs in every of the previous two years however had been bounced within the wild-card spherical each instances. Miami hasn’t gained a playoff sport in 23 seasons, the longest lively drought within the NFL.
McDaniel stated Tagovailoa and the remainder of the Dolphins had embraced these expectations properly earlier than the group cemented his standing as Miami’s quarterback of the longer term.
“Fairly frankly, Tua has proven me that all through the complete offseason that he is aware of what time it’s,” McDaniel stated. “Luckily, him and all of his teammates can exit and decide regardless of the narrative is constructed upon — by the best way they play.”
Along with his contract state of affairs settled earlier than the beginning of the common season, Tagovailoa says he is prepared to guide the Dolphins to Tremendous Bowl rivalry.
“We’re trying ahead to what we are able to do to assist this group win extra video games and win video games when it issues,” he stated.
