Tua Tagovailoa stopped a Miami Dolphins offseason practice session to address his teammates and hold them accountable demonstrating how the quarterback has become a leader within the AFC East locker room.
Last season, Tagovailoa - the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft - enjoyed the best year of his career to date as he led the NFL in passer rating (105.5). In doing so, he became the first Dolphins quarterback to achieve such a feat since the legendary Dan Marino back in 1984.
While the 25-year-old struggled with concussions in 2022, the Dolphins triggered Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option this offseason. The option locks the quarterback into a fully-guaranteed salary of $23.2m (£18.9m) for the 2024 campaign - which is a big financial commitment to a quarterback who was limited to just 13 games last season.
Tagovailoa is reportedly in excellent health now he has fully completed his recovery from previous concussions. The former Alabama star has been incorporating Jiu-Jitsu techniques into his training regime to learn how to fall forward and protect his head in the pocket, while the Dolphins have turned to the discipline for the entire quarterback room.
He has also stepped up as a leader for the Dolphins this offseason. During a recent practice, Tagovailoa reportedly grew frustrated with the offensive unit’s performance and stopped the entire session to address the team. According to ESPN, he held his teammates accountable and provided constructive criticism, highlighting how Tagovailoa has changed and embraced being more of a voice on the roster as his career has developed.
It has been a trying offseason for the quarterback, who admitted he considered retirement after his battles with concussions across the 2022 season. He is ready to return to action with the Dolphins for the upcoming season, with fans hoping he can continue to develop after he tallied an 8-5 record as a starter while he put up 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.
His impressive performances saw Miami move from 22nd in points scored to 11, with Tagovailoa enjoying the addition of Tyreek Hill via trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. With the likes of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey acquired by trade, the Dolphins are considered genuine Super Bowl contenders and could represent the AFC in Las Vegas next year.
Tagovailoa will be the Dolphins’ quarterback for the foreseeable future - but the health concerns will likely continue going into next season. The Dolphins signed former New York Jets signal-caller Mike White to join the quarterback room in 2023, offering him a two-year deal worth $8m (£6.52m). He will compete with Skylar Thompson for the backup role behind Tagovailoa, who completed just 18 passes from 45 attempts in the postseason loss to the Bills.
Tagovailoa has played in 36 career games for the Dolphins, completing 708 of 1,078 passes for 8,015 yards and 52 touchdowns. His career passer rating of 95.0 is the highest in Dolphins history and his 65.7 career completion percentage ranks second among all-time Dolphins passers.
