Quarterbacks are fair game for criticism, especially when they’re getting paid near the top of the market.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has drawn plenty of criticism this year, given his performance (and his team’s lack of wins) and a contract with a new-money average of $53.1 million per year. (The value at signing of the full five-year deal was $47.11 million annually.)
The topic came up on Thursday, during Tagovailoa’s weekly press conference. Here’s the full exchange, as transcribed by the team:
Q: “How much do you think people who criticize and scrutinize your play do it not just from the film but through the lens of your current contract? In your opinion, is that a factor?”
A. “I’m not too sure.”
Q. “In other words, they don’t just say, ‘QB Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception.’ They say, ‘Threw an interception and he makes $53 million,’ because they do. They always say it. I heard Cam Newton say it the other day.”
A. “Well, anybody can play quarterback in this league then. I want to see anybody on the streets come and play quarterback. Cam is doing his thing for sure, but I think it’s easier to be able to hold a clicker and talk about it that way or talk about what someone else is doing wrong when you’re not going out and having to do the same as them. I think it’s easy to do that, I think anybody can do that. I don’t think anybody can play quarterback.”
Of course, Cam Newton can. Cam Newton did. He was the first pick in the 2011 draft, and the league MVP in 2015.
Whatever outsiders may be saying, the reality for the Dolphins is that, if they decide Tua’s performance doesn’t justify his pay, there’s no much they can do for now. And for another year. His $54 million base compensation package is fully guaranteed for 2026.
It was the contract they gave him in 2024, when he was entering a fifth-year option at $23.171 million. Three full years were guaranteed at signing, with $147.171 million to be earned from 2024 through 2026 (not including $2 million in total workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses.)
For that kind of investment, it’s more than fair to point out that, in three games, Tua has five touchdown passes, four interceptions, and an average gain of 6.5 yards per pass.
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