Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa mic’d up and having fun

Tua Tagovailoa is finding his name mentioned as a quarterback who should be in the MVP talk and one reason is he is having fun playing football.

Is it a coincidence that Tua Tagovailoa is playing at a high-level of football one year removed from two of the worst years of his career? It shouldn’t be. Tua showed signs of what he is doing this year over his first two seasons in the league but something was lacking. Something was inconsistent and it wasn’t just his play on the field. Tua wasn’t having fun.

One reason clearly was the obvious, Brian Flores. Not to rehash the entire 2021 season that included trade talks and internal blowups, but the lack of support from within wasn’t conducive to a winning atmosphere.

Some quarterbacks thrive when the iron is pressed down hard upon them, others are not. For Tua, it was about growth and confidence. Tua can say he didn’t pay attention to the outside noise but let’s be honest, the outside noise and the inside noise were at the same level.

Now, it doesn’t matter anymore. Mike McDaniel came aboard and supported his new quarterback from the start and it has made a huge difference. Just give a listen to last Sundays game where the Dolphins had him mic’d up for the game.

This is what winning sounds like. This is what a good quarterback on the verge of becoming elite sounds like. Clearly, Tua is having fun and he loves his new coach and the support. Tua has, in one year, become a bona fide leader on the field and in the locker room. His teammates love him and want to succeed with him and for him.

When the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill, Hill later started a podcast where he said that Tua was the most accurate QB in the NFL. That has proven, so far, to be true. Miami fans were pretty optimistic about what this season might bring but no one thought it would be like this. Now the only thing fans wonder about is what might have been had Tua been able to play and finish the games he missed earlier in the season.