The Miami Dolphins have agreed with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a four-year contract extension valued at a franchise-record $212.4 million, a person with knowledge of the deal said Friday.
At an average of $53.1 million per year, Tagovailoa will rank third in the NFL in quarterback pay behind Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow. The deal includes $167 million guaranteed, eighth most among quarterbacks, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not at liberty to publicy discuss the details.
ESPN first reported the extension, attributing the terms to the agency that represents Tagovailoa, Athletes First.
The Dolphins did not announce the extension, though the team did post a video of Tagovailoa on social media Friday afternoon.
Tagovailoa was still playing under the contract he signed when the Dolphins made him the fifth overall selection of the 2020 draft. Tagovailoa was looking for a contract similar to those signed by Burrow and Justin Herbert, who were drafted the same year. After their rookie deals, Burrow and Herbert signed multiyear contracts in excess of $200 million.
Throughout negotiations, Tagovailoa participated in the team’s offseason workouts and participated in parts of the first few days of training camp. He was a full participant on Friday.
Tagovailoa, who sustained multiple concussions his first three NFL seasons, positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
The Dolphins reached the postseason but were eliminated in the first round by eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City, extending to 24 years their stretch without a playoff win.
The contract extension will keep Tagovailoa with Miami through 2028.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Miami Dolphins quarterback Mike White, left, talks with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) during NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks with head coach Mike McDaniel, right, during NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) does drills during NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) does drills during NFL football training camp, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
CHICAGO (AP) — Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Saturday.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26. Cortes (9-10) closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.
Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees (82-60) lead the Orioles by a half-game.
Cortes admitted he was upset when he learned he was going to pitch in relief.
“I’m never going to back down from a challenge,” Cortes said. “I’m never going to leave my teammates out to dry. You’re always going to get my best effort no matter if I’m happy or not. That’s what I did today. I came out there and proved I can be put in any situation. From here on out, if that’s my role, I’ll accept it.”
Schmidt had been sidelined by a right lat strain. He threw 75 pitches, 44 for strikes.
"I felt like I still had a lot of strength and I wasn’t fatiguing at all,” Schmidt said.
New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.
Chicago (72-70) has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but it has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.
“We feel like we have a good enough ballclub to be in the playoffs and in the picture, but we’re going to have to play a little bit better and keep pushing here,” left fielder Ian Happ said.
Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (7-5) allowed one earned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.
New York scored its first run when Austin Wells drove in Gleyber Torres with a groundout in the first. The Yankees made it 2-0 in the sixth when Aaron Judge swiped third as part of a double steal and scampered home on catcher Christian Bethancourt’s throwing error.
Judge, who leads the majors with 51 homers, went 0 for 3 with a walk. He hasn’t homered in 11 games in his longest streak of the season.
The Cubs had their best scoring opportunity in the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled with one out, but was caught stealing. Patrick Wisdom then tripled to right, but he was stranded when Cortes got Bethancourt to foul out.
“He handled it really well, came into a high-leverage situation with a runner on third and got the job done,” Wells said of Cortes. “From there, cruised.”
Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo heard more cheers in his second game back at Wrigley Field since he was traded by Chicago to New York in July 2021. He tipped his cap before his first at-bat and reached second on Crow-Armstrong’s dropped catch in center.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Schmidt and RHP Ian Hamilton (right lat strain) were reinstated from the 60-day injured list before the game. RHPs Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi were designated for assignment.
Cubs: LHP Justin Steele (left elbow tendinitis) was scheduled to play catch Saturday. He went on the 15-day IL on Wednesday. ... RHP Hayden Wesneski (right forearm strain) threw an inning at Triple-A Iowa.
UP NEXT
RHP Gerrit Cole (6-3, 3.65 ERA) is slated to start for New York on Sunday on his 34th birthday. RHP Jameson Taillon (9-8, 3.66 ERA) takes the mound for Chicago in the finale of the weekend set. Taillon went 22-11 with a 4.08 ERA with the Yankees in 2021 and 2022.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt reacts in the dugout after being pulled during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton, right, celebrates with teammate Gleyber Torres (25) after Torres scored on an Austin Wells ground out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Cubs starter Javier Assad delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a throwing error by the catcher during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
New York Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
