The worst-kept secret in South Beach became official on Wednesday.
Ndamukong Suh is officially signing his contract with the Miami Dolphins, the team announced on Wednesday. The deal will make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday on NFL Network the Dolphins were prepared to give Suh a six-year, $114 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed.
Suh's per-year average places him among the top-paid quarterbacks. It's unknown why the move was delayed with free agency opening Tuesday, but Suh always looked ticketed for Miami.
It's a huge haul for a defensive tackle who has been one of the most consistent players in the NFL during his five seasons in Detroit.
The worry from the Dolphins perspective is not that they are signing a player with bust potential. Suh is one of the most self-motivated players in the NFL -- any comparisons to Albert Haynesworth's massive contract are laughable. Suh has begun his career on a Hall of Fame trajectory. He knows he must add Super Bowls to cement his legacy.
Playing alongside a fellow Pro Bowl player in Cameron Wake, Suh will provide Miami an overwhelming strength in their effort to overtake Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC East. It's clear the Dolphins' brass believes paying huge money for game-changing talent is the only way to reshuffle the deck.
The question the 'Fins front office will need to answer is whether a defensive tackle who never willed his team to a playoff win in Detroit can ever be worth so much cash -- especially when they have yet to pay their young quarterback.
For Suh, he's trading a defense that was dominant last season for one that could be even more explosive -- Brent Grimes is the lock-down corner the tackle never enjoyed in Detroit. However, he could face the same team-related struggles he went through in Detroit with an up-and-down Matthew Stafford under center.
For today, however, the marriage in Miami is just underway and everything on the surface appears sunny for the now uber-rich Suh.
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