Although the Miami Dolphins are out of this year’s playoffs, their quarterback’s massive payday has sparked heated debate, with former NFL quarterback Chris Simms leading the charge.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Massive Contract Shining Spotlight on QB
On a recent episode of “PFT Live with Mike Florio,” Simms criticized the Dolphins for committing $55 million annually to Tua Tagovailoa, arguing that no other team in the league would have offered him that kind of deal. His comments weren’t just about Tua — they were aimed at the 49ers, who face a decision about re-signing Brock Purdy as he enters the final year of his rookie contract next season.
Tagovailoa was the eighth-best quarterback in the NFL this season, according to PFN’s QB+ metric. He posted a grade of 86.0 (B), which put him right behind San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy (88.0) and right ahead of Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (85.7).
When he was on the field, Tua was largely consistent. He lacked any truly dominant performances, with a B+ performance in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders being as good as it got this season.
He only had two games that ranked inside the top 50 this season, and those were also the only two he had in the top 100. Tagovailoa only had one performance with a grade below a C; however, that came in Houston (F) in Week 15, when he needed to be at his very best.
The Dolphins essentially needed to be perfect to finish the season, and despite the Texans being ineffective themselves, Tua imploded. To end the season, Tagovailoa ranked as the best quarterback in the NFL when facing pressure (-0.00) but has just a 0.27 EPA/DB (expected points added per dropback) from a clean pocket (15th).
Chris Simms on Brock Purdy’s pending contract extension:
“When it comes to the Brock Purdy conversation, I would pay him nowhere near market money… Brock Purdy is a good quarterback, certainly, but we know a lot of quarterbacks can go into San Francisco and look pretty good.… pic.twitter.com/DACWcf5qRy
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) January 9, 2025
Despite his solid metrics, injury concerns linger for the Dolphins quarterback, raising questions about his annual salary. On PFT Live, Simms used Tagovailoa as an example to argue why the 49ers should avoid paying Purdy “anywhere near market money,” stating, “Tua is the perfect example. Nobody in football was giving Tua $55 million…
“The Miami Dolphins negotiated against themselves, and they put themselves in trouble. You can’t have the highest-paid guy on your team be one of the biggest problems in a big game.”
Simms and Florio both agreed that it would be a mistake to offer Purdy a contract worth more than $30 million annually, especially with the 49ers’ existing big contracts for George Kittle, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey. To tie up even more money with a quarterback who isn’t in the top half of the league would not be a smart decision for the 49ers’ future.
Having not won a playoff game since 2000, do the Dolphins truly have their franchise quarterback in Tua? Or does Simms have a point — should teams prioritize investing in the rest of their roster instead of overpaying quarterbacks who may not deliver in critical moments?