Let us introduce “America’s Quarterback” — hardly that for the typical reasons, but almost for the opposite. Because he has come to personify the ultimate underdog. Doubted and disregarded. Kicked at every turn. Disrespected by his own team.
Now he begins training camp and his third NFL season fighting for his career and his future at 24.
The Miami Dolphins loaded up on offense in the offseason. Surrounded their QB with talent led by superstar receiver Tyreek Hill, elite tackle Terron Armstead, a beefed-up running game and an offense-oriented new coach in Mike McDaniel.
Every opportunity and no excuses left for Tua Tagovailoa, and yet the doubts still are on him like South Florida sweat. Will he handle the pressure? Does he have the capacity to elevate to elite? Can his arm strength on deep balls keep up with the blur speed of Tyreek?
The idea he remains the weak link who must prove himself is not foreign to Tagovailoa, but two years of chaos around him have left scars. So when he was asked Wednesday about all of the doubters, in the media, among NFL executives and among fans, he said:
“I don’t know any of those guys [saying that]. If that’s what they have to say good for them. They draw people for click-bait or whatever that is. If I can’t hear you, you’re not that important to me. If you’re in my circle and I can hear you, that’s different.”
Praise of Tagovailoa has been so sparse his first two pro seasons that it especially jumped out as Hill has spent a lot of time purposefully calling Tua the most accurate quarterback he has played with — notable, perhaps, because the previous guy throwing to him was Patrick Mahomes.
The mention of that brought a smile and a chuckle from McDaniel.
“As a coach you really appreciate when people believe in each other,” said the rookie head coach. [Tyreek] is brash. He is one of the most competitive players I have ever been around in my life. If Tyreek is saying this it’s because he believes it. I do understand that’s an aggressive statement.. But Tyreek believes in this quarterback. That’s a good thing.”
Because Hill is one of those people Tagovailoa can hear, it means something to him.
“It’s cool,” Tagovailoa said. “I love being one of his teammates.”
Tua is no physical specimen at 6-1, or larger than life in other ways.
He did not swagger into training camp impersonating Nicolas Cage in Con Air like Aaron Rodgers did.
He exudes no starpower; in its place is a reserved personality, at least to the media.
His rookie year was spent still recovering from a crippling hip injury, working behind an awful offensive line and pulled too soon too often for backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.
His second season was spent still with too little time to throw, still with too little ground game for support, and the tawdry specter of Miami’s interest in pursuing Deshaun Watson hovering over everything.
In the past offseason there were new reports how close the Dolphins came to finalizing a deal for Watson, and the unseemly rumors about owner Stephen Ross infatuation with signing Tom Brady.
The Dolphins drafted Tua fifth overall but almost immediately he was compared to and overshadowed by Justin Herbert, drafted sixth. Later came the reports Miami had tried and failed to trade up to get Joe Burrow.
Behind the 8-ball from Day 1 was Tagolvailoa. I am not sure there have been many other young, high-drafted QBs who have been “welcomed” into a worse situation, or made to endure the two-year s--- show that he has had to get through.
For these things and the underdog they minted arose my coining Tagovailoa “America’s Quarterback.”
He is likable, and the positive situation he is now in, after all he has been made to go through, makes him easy to root for. As if deserves some good to happen.
For sure, Tagovailoa is hard on himself. McDaniel made it seem as if his initial work with the young QB has been on the mental end, not the physical side.
“Tua is super hard on himself, which is a good thing, but anything in excess isn’t a good thing,” said the coach. “He holds himself to high standards. I don’t want that to impede the next play when things don’t go the right way. The short-term memory is something you can really work on in training camp...”
Said the QB: “Everyone is hard on themselves to a certain extent. I know my abilities. When I’m not living up to it, I get frustrated. I never put pressure on myself, but it goes with the position. I’ll never say I had the best practice, or a great practice.”
McDaniel, a youthful 39 and the opposite in personality from dour predecessor Brian Flores, should be good for Tagovailoa.
McDaniel is loose, as when he agreed to take a group selfie with the media before his Wednesday session. As when he festooned the training camp locker room with a ping-pong table, dartboard, cornhole game and small basketball court — “Shooting only,” Tagovailoa noted. “Don’t want anybody getting hurt.”
Way back in the day, Don Shula was renowned for three-a-day training camp practices. Jimmy Johnson once was scolded by the NFLPA because his practices were too long and rigorous.
McDaniel’s Day 1 was barely more than an hour.
“Full-speed effort and intensity,” he explained. “Practice might not be as long, because there is no such thing as going through the motions. We want to practice with an intensity and ferocity that separates us from rest of the league. They are trusting me that I don’t overload them.”
McDaniel has built a palpably closer relationship with Tagovailoa in a few months than Flores had with his QB in two years. Let’s see how much that matters.
Tagovailoa seems more relaxed as his Year 3 begins, even as the playoffs-or-bust pressure is on him, him mostly.
One year from now he might be a redeemed, rising star who has been lavished with a new mega-contact.
One year from now he might be fighting for his NFL life as the Dolphins have moved on and drafted his replacement.
Remember during last season, the Watson rumors all a-swirl, when Tagovailoa was asked if he felt wanted by his team.
The pause was long and awkward before at last he said, “I don’t not feel wanted.”
Tagovailoa has paid more dues in two years than most players do in a career.
His is the feel-good, root-for story waiting to happen. He deserves to feel wanted — to be the underdog who proved everybody wrong.
