By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
Notification Show More
Latest News
'Now the pressure is on the Phillies' — Derek Jeter after the Dodgers take Game 1
‘Now the pressure is on the Phillies’ — Derek Jeter after the Dodgers take Game 1
Game Analysis
Teoscar Hernández Finds Redemption With Heroic HR After Defensive Lapse
Teoscar Hernández Finds Redemption With Heroic HR After Defensive Lapse
Game Analysis
McKinstry Lifts Tigers over Mariners 3-2 in 11 innings in ALDS opener
McKinstry Lifts Tigers over Mariners 3-2 in 11 innings in ALDS opener
Game Analysis
2025 MLB Divisional Round Odds: Which Squads are Favored to Make ALCS, NLCS?
2025 MLB Divisional Round Odds: Which Squads are Favored to Make ALCS, NLCS?
Game Analysis
2025 Heisman Watch: Dante Moore Leads; Carson Beck, Ty Simpson Gaining Ground
2025 Heisman Watch: Dante Moore Leads; Carson Beck, Ty Simpson Gaining Ground
Game Analysis
Aa
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Reading: Tua Tagovailoa’s future remains in question, but he’s on right path this offseason
Share
Aa
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Search
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
BigPaulSports > Blog > Game Analysis > Tua Tagovailoa’s future remains in question, but he’s on right path this offseason
Game AnalysisNFL

Tua Tagovailoa’s future remains in question, but he’s on right path this offseason

BigP
Last updated: 2023/04/24 at 1:54 PM
BigP Published April 24, 2023
Share
Tua Tagovailoa's future remains in question, but he's on right path this offseason
SHARE

Martin Rogers

Martin Rogers

FOX Sports Insider

Tua Tagovailoa has spent much of this offseason getting thrown on his butt, he’s sporting some new facial hair, and he recently said he’d considered retiring from football.

In short, things are … 

“Great,” said the Miami Dolphins quarterback when meeting with reporters last week, with the kind of smile you can’t help but believe.

Tagovailoa is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he led the team to an 8-3 start that sparked such promise, but ended it on the sidelines, not returning for the final two games of the regular season or a playoff defeat to Buffalo after sustaining a concussion Christmas Day.

Having attacked the offseason with a dedicated plan, he is feeling upbeat, giving off an unmistakably more relaxed air that suggests he’s comfortable with where his game and his mindset land as the summer months approach.

Speaking of landing, the 25-year-old has — as most will have heard by now — taken up the martial art of jiu jitsu, a preventative measure aimed at teaching him how to fall more effectively. This follows a pair of 2022 concussions resulting from his head colliding into the ground.

Those incidents caused him to temporarily wonder whether his future lay away from the sport, before quickly deciding that was not an option he wanted to pursue.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, with my wife and having those kinds of conversations,” he said. “Really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am, with my son. I always dreamed of playing as long as I could so my son could watch and know this is what I do.”

Right move for Miami to pick up Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option?

Right move for Miami to pick up Tua Tagovailoa's fifth-year option?

Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy, Joy Taylor and Ric Bucher discuss the Dolphins picking up Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option for the 2024 season. Joy weighs in on the move and explains why she loves it.

Making that admission was something Tagovailoa got some unwarranted criticism for, but in reality, talking about it is just in keeping with where he is at. It wasn’t a concession of weakness, more a statement of clarity — one that shows he feels he’s in the right place and with the right tools to shine.

Pressure is always there for NFL QBs, but the way he performed last season silenced a lot of skeptics. Already the Dolphins have picked up his fifth-year option for 2024, one that will pay him $23.2 million that year. Believing that the streaking start to last season is a better predictor of the future than the frustrating end to it (losing six of seven), Miami has made it clear Tagovailoa is the guy despite adding backup Mike White as a free agent.

Tagovailoa’s preparation is more forensic now, and it centers around accountability. Small areas of weakness aren’t to be ignored and avoided; they’re to be addressed and improved upon to a point where they are good enough to give confidence.

That’s why watching game footage from last season with his jiu jitsu coach has been part of the prep, and it’s why an elaborate system of pulleys has been set up to enable him to strengthen his neck. 

Miami coach Mike McDaniel wants Tagovailoa to make plays and showcase his talent, but also to appreciate the process that goes into it all as the QB enters his fourth year in the league.

As for the mustache, it was an offseason dalliance he’s ready to be done with, but his wife likes it, which probably means we will see it stick around for a while, and if nothing else, it is a sign that there’s a different edge to Tagovailoa, a kind of relaxed focus that hints at a greater comfort level.

The Dolphins hope that’s the case.

Going from 8-3 to 8-8 wasn’t anyone’s idea of fun, but Tagovailoa’s end-of-season stats made for pleasant reading, with 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions, and 3,548 passing yards.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Dolphins had already skidded, and it never felt like they had a chance of going into Buffalo and beating the Bills with seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson under center.

Tagovailoa is aware that he must find ways to stay off the injury list, having played 13 games or fewer in each of his three seasons.

“I want to get better at everything I can do to help the team win games,” he added. “And I know the biggest one is my health, staying out on the field.”

That’s why the past months have revolved around strength work, leg work, neck and core work. Plus, of course, getting slammed into the jiu jitsu mats, because that’s how it goes when you’re still a white belt trying to earn respect.

He’s graduated to a level well beyond that on the quarterbacking hierarchy list, but believes there is more to come. 

It is an unpredictable league and the best laid plans can go awry, but the most important part of Tagovailoa’s continued climb is in place — he believes he can.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.

Top stories from FOX Sports:  

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

National Football League

National Football League

Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa


NFL trending


National Football League

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more


in this topic

You Might Also Like

‘Now the pressure is on the Phillies’ — Derek Jeter after the Dodgers take Game 1

Teoscar Hernández Finds Redemption With Heroic HR After Defensive Lapse

McKinstry Lifts Tigers over Mariners 3-2 in 11 innings in ALDS opener

2025 MLB Divisional Round Odds: Which Squads are Favored to Make ALCS, NLCS?

TAGGED: nfl
BigP April 24, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow
newsletter featurednewsletter featured

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    Popular News
    Texans' Stroud not anxious over QB competition
    NFLSports News

    Texans’ Stroud not anxious over QB competition

    BigP BigP August 25, 2023
    Commanders sale still an unknown at meetings
    With Tom Brady retired, what are the Buccaneers’ QB options?
    Free from Payton buzz, Cowboys coach McCarthy needs to nail offseason
    How a Thunder championship could turn a $100 parlay into $1.7M — if the bettor keeps his ticket
    - Advertisement -
    Ad imageAd image

    Categories

    • Sports

    About US

    We offer information and tips on US Sports and evernts all over the world.
    Top Categories
    • Game Analysis
    • Free Picks
    • Services
    • Premium Content

    Subscribe US

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

      © Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.

      Removed from reading list

      Undo
      Welcome Back!

      Sign in to your account

      Lost your password?