Tua Tagovailoa has been dogged by critics over his play and availability throughout his career and has come out on the other side with a contract to prove he's the Dolphins' franchise quarterback.
As always, the real work is ahead, something head coach Mike McDaniel made clear throughout his Sunday news conference.
“It’s a pretty hot place to be quarterback in the National Football League," McDaniel said of the heightened expectations that will follow Tagovailoa's extension. "You get a lot of reps at seeing how people respond to things. I think that is absolutely the nature that you should expect and something that I know Tua’s very, very aware of. I think that’s one of the cool things about sports is Tua can know that, his teammates know that, and they already have pressure and expectations for themselves.
“Just as long as you acknowledge that, which quite frankly Tua’s shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is, fortunately him and all his teammates can go out and determine whatever the narrative is built upon by the way they play. We focus on the way we play, understanding that we will always hear about the results regardless of what they are. So why don’t we try to move the needle on what those results are.”
Such an emphasis on rewriting the narrative surrounding Miami stems directly from the team's inability to finish stretch runs during the McDaniel-Tagovailoa partnership.
Tagovailoa was serviceable but underwhelming for a No. 5 overall pick through his initial two seasons without his current coach. He went 13-8 as a starter with 4,467 yards, 27 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and an 88.8 passer rating in 23 games played.
McDaniel's arrival -- paired with a trade for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill -- proved to be the catalyst for Tagovailoa's takeoff.
It's part of why, two years into their team-up, McDaniel put in extra effort to get Tagovailoa's deal finished.
"I think it says a lot," Tagovailoa said in his post-practice news conference about McDaniel's push for him. "Word gets around quick, and I don't think he knows that I know, but I've been told by several birdies that are here in the facility and upstairs as well, that he went to bat for me the day that I went out in practice -- 11-on-11, 7-on-7, before we went on that little break -- that he went to bat for me with our owner. I won't go into details of things that I heard were said, but just know that he is what he says. He says what he told me, and he did what I was thinking he would do for me and, not just for me, but for any other player. I'm very grateful for that."
In 2022, Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards, 25 TDs and eight picks while leading the league with a 105.5 passer rating during his first season under McDaniel. He dealt with injures and missed four games, though, a common refrain during his time in Miami to that point.
He rectified that in 2023 with his first full season, a campaign in which he threw an NFL-high 4,624 yards and a career-best 29 touchdowns to 14 INTs.
His performance led to his recent four-year, $212.4 million payday, which in turn led to Tagovailoa pumping up the crowd at Sunday's practice, including a "show me the money" quote.
The Dolphins have nonetheless stumbled late in each of the past two years. When they did so in 2022, losing five of their final six contests to finish 9-8, it could partly be explained away by Tagovailoa missing time. However, last season he was there when they went 2-3 to see the AFC East title slip away at the end, then fell on Super Wild Card Weekend for a second straight time.
With Tagovailoa having earned the long-term nod from team brass, he and the rest of the squad must make finishing soft the newest storyline to erase under McDaniel.
“Now that all of this is done, this is behind us, we know heavy is the crown," Tagovailoa said. "Whoever’s wearing that, right now I’m the highest-paid employee in this office. I got to get my, you know, whatever together, got to get that right, and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go.”
Their ability to reach their ultimate goal will define the rest of both Tagovailoa and McDaniel's tenure.
"There's plenty of people that could be, you know, a head coach of a team and lose a ton of games," McDaniel said. "You have to wait and be successful. You know, and I knew that the very first day I got the job and so, whatever is coming with whatever narrative and extracurricular thing doesn’t really bother me.”
Team success obviously won't fall solely on the QB and head coach. Miami also made improvements around them this offseason by taking a chance on wideout Odell Beckham and signing veterans for new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver's operation like linebacker Jordyn Brooks and safety Jordan Poyer.
They'll simply be the ones most prominently highlighted for the results still to come, both the good and the bad, which makes Tagavaolia's deal the starting point rather than an ending one.
“It’s maybe a handshake and a smile," McDaniel said regarding the aftermath of extending his QB. "But it’s not a celebration."