Chris Perkins: Do new contracts raise expectations for Tua, Tyreek, Waddle, McDaniel?

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — OK, everybody’s been paid. Coach Mike McDaniel. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Now what?

Are there higher expectations or demands from fans on the Miami Dolphins’ most important people now that owner Steve Ross has paid them all?

If so, define those higher expectations on McDaniel, Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle.

Is there a demand that the foursome lead the Dolphins, who are 0-2 in the playoffs under their leadership, to a playoff win?

Do McDaniel, Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle shoulder more of the accountability if the Dolphins, in Year 3 of the McDaniel-Tua era, don’t win a playoff game?

Or does everything remain the same, meaning the Dolphins’ ultimate judgment doesn’t rest with the performances of their top-paid people, but rather with injuries and the temperature at kickoff?

I’m hoping the latter isn’t the case.

I don’t want fans to turn on their heroes.

I don’t want fans to yell curses at them, troll them on social media, or anything of that sort.

They’re all good guys. I like them.

I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs.

I’d just like to know the expectations and demands from fans for McDaniel, Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle.

And I’d like to know whether fans hold the ones who make the most money more accountable for the season’s outcome.

Most fans hope for/expect one playoff victory from the Dolphins.

The same with the media, both local and national.

One playoff win.

That’s it.

To be clear, Dolphins players and coaches want to win a Super Bowl. Badly. I have zero doubt about that.

But they’re very aware this franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000. McDaniel, Hill and Tagovailoa have all alluded to that publicly.

Ending that playoff drought is a major goal.

For that to happen, these guys must perform better in big games and games against playoff teams.

In seven games against playoff teams last season, the Dolphins were 1-6.

Tagovailoa had eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in those games.

Hill, who had eight 100-yard receiving games last season, had none against playoff teams.

Waddle, who had three 100-yard games during the season, had zero against playoff teams.

McDaniel could remedy some of that with different/better play-calling.

But ultimately the players must be better against the best teams on their schedule.

We’ll see if that happens.

By the way, hopefully ending the playoff victory drought isn’t the ultimate goal. Hopefully winning one playoff game is viewed as a stepping stone to bigger success.

But it’s hard to say for sure.

The Dolphins don’t always state their goals clearly.

Grier was asked last Wednesday, “How do you define a successful season for this year? Does it require you to end the 24-year drought?”

He seemed to say “yes” before backing off a bit.

“Yeah, I don’t think we shy away from it,” Grier replied. “Mike (McDaniel) has talked about it, yeah. For us, it’s always, again, every team wants to win the Super Bowl and we’re no different. And at the end of the day, one team wins, and to me, if you don’t win it, every team (thinks it’s) not a successful season. So that’s the way I’ve always looked at it.”

Hmmm ...

McDaniel was a bit more clear when he was asked whether expectations for Tagovailoa should be heightened because of his contract extension.

“I think expectations are important from one vantage point, for the personal expectations that one has for themselves,” McDaniel began.

He went on to say that it’s natural for expectations to evolve because you’re always trying to be the next version of yourself, and if you’re not getting better then you’re getting worse.

“External expectations will adjust, but I think it’s important that you focus on your internal expectations because that’s the best way to lend the most powerful results that hopefully satisfy all your friends, fans and every other person,” McDaniel said.

Based on that, you could safely presume McDaniel would say the recently rewarded members of the Dolphins’ organization — himself, Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle — should answer to their own expectations.

But what are the fans’ expectations for them?