Skip Bayless slams Tua Tagovailoa as "Miami's Dak Prescott" after $212,400,000 extension
Skip Bayless isn't a big fan of Tua Tagovailoa's four-year contract extension. The Miami Dolphins signed their quarterback to a $212.4 million deal, at an average of $52.6 million a year. It made him one of the highest-paid players in the sport's history, but Bayless doesn't believe it will work out well for Miami.
He likened Tagovailoa to Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott, saying he would let them down when it counted, and went further while speaking on "Undisputed":
"Tua will not live up to that contract. He (Mike McDaniels) got the most you can get out of a too-short quarterback, without much of an arm, and without great mobility. That's what Tua is. Tua is not an escape artist at all.
"It works but I just don't think it will work enough for him to be anything but the Miami Dak, he'll turn into the Miami's Dak where you'll always be a little frustrated. You always want a little bit more."
Bayless referenced Jordan Love, who got more money than Tagovailoa. Bayless said Love has earned the money, and that he's seen enough to know the Green Bay Packers QB will live up to the contract. It's an expensive one at $220 million, but worth the price tag, according to Bayless. He went so far as to say Love will be "underpaid at that price," but does not believe the same will be true of Tagovailoa.
It is a similar situation to that of the Cowboys and Dak Prescott. Prescott is eligible for an extension, but he hasn't landed one and might leave Dallas after this season. The Dolphins avoided that by extending Tagovailoa, but Bayless believes both teams should have considered letting them walk.
Where does Tua Tagovailoa rank among the highest-paid QBs?
Tua Tagovailoa now ranks among the highest-paid players in the NFL by AAV. The list is dominated by quarterbacks, and it begins with Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and Jordan Love, who all make $55 million a season.
Tua Tagovailoa ranks right behind them in fourth, just ahead of Jared Goff and Justin Herbert. In terms of overall value, Tagovailoa's contract is 11th, just ahead of Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins.
It will be interesting to see if these contracts age well, and with the 2024 NFL season drawing close, we don't have long to get a short-term look at the matter.