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Where Tua Tagovailoa's Extension Ranks Among NFL's Richest Contracts
The Miami Dolphins and star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa agreed to terms on a new four-year contract extension on Friday.
Under his new deal, Tagovailoa figures to remain in Miami through the 2027 season, and will collect a total of $212.4 million, including a reported $167 million in guaranteed money. As has been the case with most quarterbacks contracts doled out of late, Tagovailoa's deal surpasses the $50 million annual average value mark, as he's set to bring in an AAV of $53.1 million per season.
The past few seasons have seen the quarterback market continually reset itself, with the likes of Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and several others all signing new contracts within the past year-plus.
So, with Tagovailoa locked in with the Dolphins for four more years, let's take a look at how his new contract stacks up against some of the other highest earning QBs in football, both in terms of average annual value and total money.
Biggest NFL Quarterback Contracts
PLAYER, TEAM | AAV | TOTAL VALUE | TOTAL GUARANTEED |
|---|---|---|---|
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals | $55,000,000 | $275,000,000 | $219,010,000 |
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars | $55,000,000 | $275,000,000 | $200,000,000 |
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins | $53,100,000 | $212,400,000 | $167,000,000 |
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions | $53,000,000 | $212,000,000 | $170,611,832 |
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers | $52,500,000 | $262,500,000 | $193,738,375 |
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens | $52,000,000 | $260,000,000 | $185,000,000 |
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles | $51,000,000 | $255,000,000 | $179,304,000 |
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals | $46,100,000 | $230,500,000 | $160,000,000 |
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns | $46,000,000 | $230,000,000 | $230,000,000 |
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons | $45,000,000 | $180,000,000 | $100,000,000 |
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs | $45,000,000 | $450,000,000 | $141,000,000 |
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills | $43,000,000 | $258,000,000 | $150,000,000 |
In terms of average annual value, the $53.1 million Tagovailoa stands to collect throughout the life of his new contract ranks third in the NFL, just ahead of Jared Goff's $53 million AAV. He's also making more per year than the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen, among many others.
As for the total money in Tagovailoa's new four-year pact, his $212.4 million ranks 10th in the league, also slightly ahead of Goff. The Lions and Goff agreed to a similar four-year, $212 million extension earlier in the offseason, which appears to have been the baseline for Tagovailoa's deal in Miami.
To put Tagovailoa's contract into further context, legendary Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino earned a total of $51 million in his NFL career, less than what Tagovailoa figures to make per season.
Now that he's gotten his contract situation sorted, Tagovailoa has returned to the field at training camp. The Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since 2001, a streak fans are hopeful the team's highly-paid quarterback will help put an end to.
Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.