Does Goff Deal Provide Blueprint for Dolphins?

The Miami Dolphins are expected to sign QB Tua Tagovailoa to a contract extension this year

Tua Tagovailoa / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

There was some big contract news around the NFL on Monday, with both Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. agreeing to big-money extensions, and those could have an impact on the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins have their own quarterback and safety in line for a contract extension, and one would think the agent for both Tua Tagovailoa and Jevon Holland took note of the figures involve.

The big one, of course, involves Goff, who reportedly agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $212 million, an annual average of $53 million.

Based purely on annual average, the new deal will put Goff second among NFL quarterbacks behind only Joe Burrow, who comes in at $55 million, per overthecap.com. Goff hopped over the other two quarterbacks (besides Burrow) from the 2020 draft class who got extensions last year, Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson.

The question now becomes whether Goff's new deal and annual average becomes the baseline for a potential Tua extension.

Goff is heading into his fourth season with the Detroit Lions, his ninth in the NFL, after arriving as the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He has had a resurgence in Detroit the past two seasons and has three career Pro Bowl invitations on his resume with a career passer rating of 93.6. He has a 4-4 record in the playoffs as a starter and helped the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game last season with playoff victories against the Los Angeles Rams, his first NFL team, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tua, who is almost four years younger than Goff, has a career passer rating of 97.1 and is coming off his first Pro Bowl season.

Tua currently is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option with a fully guaranteed salary of $23.2 million. GM Chris Grier has said on multiple occasions that Tua is their quarterback moving forward but that negotiations for a long-term extension are complicated.

"He’s trying to do everything he can to do what he can to be great," Grier said before the draft. "And that’s been from Day 1 when Mike (McDaniel) and him connected here, working through the first season and then making the changes offseason, working through last year, staying healthy, leading the league in passing and now this is his next evolution (losing some weight). As Mike has told you guys, we feel like there is a whole other step that he can take, so we’re excited about his future.”

NEW STANDARD FOR SAFETIES

Winfield, meanwhile, not only became the highest-paid safety in the NFL on Monday, he became the highest-paid defensive back, period.

Winfield's new deal reportedly will be worth $84 million over four years, moving Winfield past Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.

Holland, who is scheduled to make $3.4 million in base salary in the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, commented on Winfield's new deal on social media.

Well deserved brotha!!! @AntoineWJr11 https://t.co/81neYeVS58

— Jev (@quickdrawjev) May 13, 2024

Fellow 2021 Dolphins draft picks Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips also are in line for an extension at some point, but the Dolphins have both under contract through 2025 after recently picking up each player's fifth-year option.

Holland, meanwhile, is going into a contract year.

He's been a solid starter for the Dolphins, at times very good, but not quite the playmaker that Winfield has been for the Buccaneers.

So of the two contracts reached Monday, Tua is the one most likely to be able to top the player at his position.