Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill is standing by his quarterback.
The Dolphins wide receiver made a strong statement on Tua Tagovailoa, who is still angling for a new contract extension as the team nears the start of training camp. Hill offered some public support for Tagovailoa, saying he deserves to be paid among the league’s top quarterbacks and issuing a three-word message on his importance to the team.
“We need him,” Hill said.
Tyreek Hill Pushes Back on Tua Tagovailoa’s Critics
In an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on July 12, Hill said he doesn’t understand why some criticize Tagovailoa’s importance or question whether he deserves a new contract extension. Hill said Tagovailoa is a strong leader for the Dolphins and believes he should be paid as such.
“For people to like sit here and try to discredit Tua and say he’s not deserving of a contract is wild to me,” Hill said. “A lot of guys on the team understand his value and understand that we need him. We need his leadership, we need the mindset that he brings into each and every week. It’s there. It’s like Terminator almost, man. I feel like he should be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.”
Tua with the DEEP BOMB to rookie Tahj Washington ‼️💣 pic.twitter.com/QxinyEEqZB
— Bobby Shouse (@B_Shousejr) May 28, 2024
Tagovailoa is about to enter his fifth NFL season and has already seen two fellow quarterbacks from his draft class — Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts — land big extensions.
The Dolphins quarterback is coming off a season where he led the league with 4,624 yards with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He earned a Pro Bowl spot while addressing questions about his durability by starting all 17 games.
Dolphins Could Be ‘Reluctant’ to Make Big Commitment
Joel Corry, a former sports agent, wrote for CBS Sports that Tagovailoa could have a challenge getting the same level of extension that Burrow, Herbert, or Hurts landed.
“There are durability concerns for Tagovailoa that don’t exist for other quarterbacks who have signed lucrative contracts recently or are in line for new deals,” Corry wrote. “A dislocated right hip and posterior wall fracture cut short his final season at the University of Alabama in 2019. Tagovailoa’s 2022 NFL season ended prematurely because of multiple concussions.”
Corry noted that the Dolphins could be “reluctant” to give Tagovailoa the level of security “typically associated with high-end quarterback contracts” due to his history of injury.
Publicly, the Dolphins have expressed optimism that they will be able to reach a new deal with Tagovailoa. In May, general manager Chris Grier said that any deal of that size will take time but had hope that it would get completed.
“I think we’re hopeful,” Grier said, via ESPN. “When you go through these things … these are deals that very rarely come together quickly. There are a lot of pieces and moving parts. We’ve had positive discussions so far, and we’ll keep working here throughout the offseason.”
As ESPN noted, the Dolphins still have options if the two sides are unable to reach a new deal. Tagovailoa still has the fifth year of his rookie contract this year, and the team can use the franchise tag in 2025.
