Mike McDaniel: Contract a “cool validation” of what Tua Tagovailoa’s done [Video]

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Sunday that he surprised quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a hug after Tagovailoa agreed to his long-awaited contract extension with the team on Friday, but that he wasn’t surprised that the deal finally came together.

McDaniel said at a press conference that he “expected it to get done” because of what Tagovailoa has meant to the team over the last few years. McDaniel called it a “cool validation” of Tagovailoa’s efforts in Miami and then moved on to what kind of expectations it sets for Tagovailoa’s future.

“I think that’s one of the cool things about sports is Tua can know that, his teammates know that, and they already have pressure and expectations for themselves,” McDaniel said. “Just as long as you acknowledge that, which quite frankly Tua’s shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is. Fortunately, him …