Is it Tua Tagovailoa or Cuba Gooding Jr.? The Dolphins QB is all set for an extended stay in Miami after the big-money contract extension. After weeks of speculation on how big of an improvement Tagovailoa deserved on his $30,337,917 rookie contract, the Dolphins broke the bank for their QB1. On July 26, the 26-year-old agreed to a 4-year, $212.4 million extension. With an average salary of $53.1 million per year, it looks like the Hawaii native is taking a page off a famous Tom Cruise movie to express his joy!

If the Cuba Gooding Jr. hint wasn’t enough, the movie in question is the 1996 blockbuster, ‘Jerry Maguire’. Not only did the movie earn $273.6 million at the box office, but Gooding Jr.’s portrayal of ‘Rod Tidwell’ also earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In the Cameron Crowe-directed flick, Cuba’s character shouts at Tom Cruise, “Show me the money” during a pivotal scene in the movie. Since the film’s release, the catchphrase has become iconic!

On his first day of Dolphins practice after the contract extension, the QB shouted, “Show me the money” to hype up the fans in attendance. Not just that, Tagovailoa also thanked the Dolphins faithful for showing up on a “hot” day and urged them to keep the support going. Though some experts suggested the huge contract was a mistake for the franchise, but Tua’s teammate seems to be all for it!

After the news broke, Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins’ WR, put out a smiley emoji on his X account, seemingly showing support for the quarterback. Speaking of QBs, the Dolphins star finds himself amongst the highest earners in NFL history!

Tua Tagovailoa earns record contract from the Dolphins

While money doesn’t grow on trees, it certainly rains if you’re an elite QB in the NFL! In his four-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa has completed 1096 passes with 12,639 yards and 81 touchdowns! The Alabama alumni also led the franchise to the playoffs in the last two seasons (2022 & 2023), ending the drought since 2016. All in all, the QB certainly deserved a lot of dough!

But the negotiation period was quite a tough one! However, the QB did not take a page from Jordan Love’s book and go on a holdout. According to CBS, the $212.4 million contract made him the third highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, behind Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. Reportedly, he will bag $167 million in guarantees.

However, Jordan Love stole the thunder from Tua after the Green Bay Packers’ QB signed a 4-year contract extension with a $220 Million salary. With more than $420 million being shelled out on the position, it’s seemingly the golden period to be an NFL QB! Judging by Tua Tagovailoa’s energetic reaction, the Dolphins star is certainly basking in the glow of the largest contract in the franchise’s history.