The health of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became a major headline during the 2022 NFL season after he suffered multiple concussions, putting his health and longevity in the league at risk.
However, as the ’23 season approaches, the Dolphins signal caller told reporters Wednesday that he dedicated the whole offseason to prepare for the physicality of the game in ’23. Tagovailoa, who enters his fourth NFL season, implemented jiu-jitsu training and did “a lot more reps with the heavier weights” to add muscle in seeking to remain on the field for the entire season.
“Everything that I did this offseason entailed to what would keep me on the field for the entirety of the season. We understand that freaky things can happen,” Tagovailoa said at the news conference. “It’s football, it’s a physical sport, not everything you prepare for is what you can get. But I did the best I could to get myself ready and prep for this season as far as injuries go.”
In addition to readying his body for the hits from defenders, the 25-year-old plans to play with a different helmet that will provide his head with extra support when his head hits the ground.
“If you look at last year, it wasn’t anyone hitting my head, it was really just the ground,” Tagovailoa said.
Tagovailoa missed five games last season due to multiple concussions. Last season, he threw for career-highs in yards (3,548), touchdowns (25) and recorded his highest quarterback rating (105.5) while leading Miami to an 8–5 record in 13 starts.
Currently, Tagovailoa is 21–13 as a starter in the league and has thrown for 8,015 yards and 52 touchdowns in 36 games of his NFL career.
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