Tyreek Hill wanted Tua Tagovailoa to hand him big money, helping the quarterback out when he was plagued by contract issues.
Hill, a guest on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Friday, explained that he doesn’t understand why anyone doesn’t think Tagovailoa deserves to sign a contract extension with the Dolphins and become one of the highest-paid point guards in the NFL.
“For people to sit here and discredit Tua and say he doesn’t deserve the contract, that’s crazy to me.” Hill says“A lot of guys on the team understand his value and they know they need him. They need his leadership, the mindset he brings every week. It’s there. It’s like the Terminator. I think he should be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.”
Tagovailoa is entering his fifth season and has watched other quarterbacks receive big paydays this offseason, including the Falcons’ Kirk Cousins (four-year, $180 million), the Lions’ Jared Goff (four-year, $212 million) and the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence (five-year, $275 million). Lawrence and Goff re-signed with their respective teams.
The 26-year-old Tagovailoa is coming off the best year of his career, leading the league with 4,624 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 69.3 percent of his passes in 17 games.
This was a much-needed rebound year for him after suffering two concussions in 2022, but it still seems to be a concern for some.
But not for Hill.
“That’s unfounded,” Hill said in response to a question about the health issues. “People have to understand Tua’s development and where he came from and where he is now. I think that speaks a lot to a lot of people.”
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, he has a coach.’ [Mike] “McDaniel is calling the plays. Oh, he’s got XYZ receivers, or he’s got all these playmakers. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to get the ball to the playmakers, you know? You’ve got to be prepared every week with the same mindset, knowing there’s some crazy defensive end coming off the edge and he’s going to smack you in the head, you know? There’s a lot that goes into that.”
Tagovailoa barely participated in the team’s offseason workouts as contract extension negotiations dragged on.
He is under contract through the end of the 2024 season with a fifth-year option worth $23 million if the two sides cannot agree on an extension.
“I think he’s a great fit for the team,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said in January. [in Miami] I will play at a high level for a long time.”
Tagovailoa will need to make at least $50 million per year to be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks next season.
Joe Burrow and Lawrence both lead the league in annual salaries at $55 million, followed by Goff ($53 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lamar Jackson ($52 million) and Jalen Hurts ($51 million). According to Over The Cap.
