When he started his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2020, it wasn’t clear that Tua Tagovailoa was long for the NFL. He wasn’t the worst passer and wasn’t outright unplayable the way top-five quarterback picks sometimes are. But, after two underwhelming campaigns — where the criticism from the outside looking in was probably overwhelming — it seemed apparent Tagovailoa wouldn’t reach his potential in South Beach.
Enter one of the NFL’s brighter offensive minds in Mike McDaniel, who took the helm for Miami as head coach this year. Renowned for his forward-thinking playbook, McDaniel’s Xs and Os are undoubtedly part of Tagovailoa’s ascendance to MVP-level play, but they’re not the complete equation. Far from it.
