Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel found himself at the center of a viral moment during his team’s playoff loss to the Bills when broadcast cameras caught him lifting up his hands to his face in a move that many thought was to conceal the fact that he was vaping.
However, McDaniel’s quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa dismissed that idea this week.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Lacey Jane Brown on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LVII, Tagovailoa was asked about the viral moment involving his coach. Though he admitted that he wasn’t sure if McDaniel used a vape, the Dolphins quarterback set the record straight about what happened on the sideline that day.
“It didn’t happen, no. I think it was cold,” Tagovailoa said.
Tagovailoa is right that it was a chilly day in Buffalo when his Miami team was eliminated from the playoffs in a 34–31 loss to the Bills. The third-year quarterback wasn’t able to be out on the field with his team as he was recovering from the second confirmed concussion that he suffered during the 2022 season.
Though his third year in the NFL was marred by concussions, Tagovailoa posted career-highs in passing yards (3,548) and touchdowns (25) in his first season under McDaniel’s tutelage. The two have developed a strong relationship that the Dolphins are determined to keep in place heading into next year.
During his interview with SI, Tagovailoa was also asked about the funniest thing McDaniel had ever told him or done.
“Yeah there’s a lot of things. And a lot of things I shouldn’t share. He would deny it anyway,” Tagovailoa answered. “I don’t know, there’s not one particular things that I can share that is uh, appropriate to share that is hilarious.
“But he is like, if there was in the dictionary ‘Dude’ capitalized, his picture would be right next to it. He’s a dude.”
