Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is said to be enjoying a wonderful offseason, and head coach Mike McDaniel is excited for his return to the field.
It was a rollercoaster 18 weeks for Tagovailoa, who was in fine form during his third NFL season before suffering a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the first of two concussions he sustained over the 2022 campaign, and his season was ended prematurely as a result.
Tagovailoa has been working on himself behind the scenes after the Dolphins pledged to stick with the quarterback for the foreseeable future, and he's even started taking judo classes to help him fall correctly upon impact. McDaniel has no doubts Tagovailoa will make it work, ahead of a make-or-break season.
"He's doing great," McDaniel said of Tagovailoa. "He's had a really good offseason with his family and training and positioning himself to feel good moving forward. He's very healthy, vibrant, and I can see a hunger in him that I'm excited to watch play out.
There were reports that the Dolphins could search for a new quarterback earlier this offseason, following Tagovailoa's worrying injury concerns. But the franchise are confident in the 25-year-old, and McDaniel is a big fan.
"He's a younger player and he's very honest and candid," he explained. "But it also gives me a barometer. He was doing a lot, he's got a lot of room to grow, let's just say that.
"He did an unbelievable job being able to lead an offense in year one. That's a new language. This is his first year where he's going to have continued offense, play caller and position coach."
The Dolphins made it to Wildcard Weekend last season before narrowly losing to the Buffalo Bills with third-choice quarterback Skylar Thompson picked to star the game. They'll be hoping to improve on last season's success as Tyreek Hill has now settled, and the addition of Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams has only heightened expectation even more.
But their chances really do hinge on Tagovailoa's condition, and the quarterback will be keen to avoid being placed back on concussion protocol anytime soon. It's easily the most important season of Tagovailoa's career, but even with the troubles faced in 2022, he still enjoyed his best ever year as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
