In a league where timing can be the difference between a Super Bowl contention and collapse, former Miami Dolphins receiver OJ McDuffie believes his old team may have gotten the clock wrong on a few major deals.
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Speaking to The SportsRush, McDuffie delved deeper into this discourse by first reflecting on how the Kansas City Chiefs structured Patrick Mahomes’ contract, a move that raised eyebrows in 2020 but now looks like front-office genius.
“It looked like a lot of money, which it was at the time, but it was like a 10-year deal,” McDuffie said. “You can spread that out… it really doesn’t come out to as much as these guys are doing now.”
When Mahomes signed his 10-year, $450 million extension, critics questioned the logic of such a long commitment and rightly so. Ten years is a long time in the NFL, and in this period, one injury or a deficiency in skillset being discovered is all it takes for the Chiefs’ investment in Mahomes to go to waste.
But the Chiefs saw it differently because not only did they have utmost belief in their talisman, but they also saw the move as a decision that would lock in their franchise cornerstone before market inflation exploded.
And as it turned out, now, when quarterbacks like Dak Prescott are earning $60 million a year and Jordan Love is earning $55 million per annum, Patrick Mahomes’ average annual hit [roughly $45 million/year] sits well below the current quarterback ceiling, while Kansas City enjoys the flexibility to build around him.
Hence, OJ McDuffie pointed to that very contrast when discussing the Dolphins: “In my opinion, [they] have taken guys back to the table before they should have. I think that’s hurt us a little bit.”
And the Penn State alum isn’t wrong in his criticism of Miami’s timing because recent Dolphins decisions underline his concern.
For starters, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension last offseason, despite lingering doubts about his long-term durability—a concern that was proved right after his massive concussion scare and 6 games missed.
Another example is Jaylen Waddle, who, while he was still on his rookie deal, received a three-year, $84.75 million extension with a whopping $76 million guaranteed. Even Tyreek Hill, who joined the team in 2022, was rewarded with a four-year, $120 million deal shortly after arrival.
“They get to the last year of that deal, you start talking about redoing the deal,” OJ McDuffie hence advised. “Guys need to play through the contracts that they signed.”
That said, the former Dolphins wideout’s issue isn’t with spending either; rather, it’s with how you spend. “It’s not about spending the money,” he emphasized. “It’s about spending it the right way on the right guys, keeping your core… you also have to draft well, you gotta develop.”
McDuffie even spared a word for the people upstairs: “I don’t envy the guys like Chris Grier… that have to go out there and manipulate this cap… it’s a lot of pressure, man.” Especially, he added, “when other teams are winning and you’re not.”
All said and done, the underlying message from a former team captain turned analyst is clear: foresight trumps flash. And for the Dolphins, the challenge now is living with the price tags of decisions they made, perhaps a season too soon.
