In 2019, the Miami Dolphins were supposed to be a different team. It was a culture change, a new beginning, but it wasn't.
Brian Flores tried to change the culture by refusing to lose. Flores was a tough head coach who demanded discipline. He rubbed players the wrong way, and when the owner and general manager called him out on it, he refused to fall in line and be nice.
Mike McDaniel came on board, and the Dolphins talked about yet another "culture" change. McDaniel brought a new energy, a fast offense, and a desire to make Tua Tagovailoa into an NFL quarterback. The identity didn't change. The narrative has yet to change.
Three years after landing his first head coaching job, McDaniel is still talking about changing a culture he built. His team is lazy, undisciplined, and unmotivated. Veteran players want more money or they want out. Tyreek Hill quit on the team in Week 18, but McDaniel praised him for his apology and said he would welcome his top receiver to be named a team captain again.
Now, it's Tagovailoa's turn to talk about changing the culture. One he, too, had a hand in. Tua said the team is changing and that he sees a difference from the players who are there.
"There is a culture shift. I feel it just as much as everyone that's been here since I've gotten into the league." said Tagovailoa. "I really do feel in my heart this is a change of scenery for our guys in the locker room, and it also transitions to our coaches as well."
Should Dolphins fans buy into the latest culture change rhetoric from Tua Tagovailoa?
Fans are tired of being told this year is the year the Dolphins flip their culture. They are tired of the "We are finding a new identity" talk. It's time for leaders like Tua to lead, to actually change on the field instead of in the middle of June.
Culture change doesn't happen because bad attitudes leave a team. They change because the leaders on the team actually lead. In this case, Tagovailoa is the player everyone needs to look toward. Tua has to lead them; he has to make them better. He is doing that in practice so far, but he will need to do that on Sundays as well.
Maybe then the culture will change. Winning will do that. Discipline will do that. But accountability will also do that, and that is where Tua has to step up and lead. Can he? Every fan hopes so.
This isn't intended to be a knock on Tua — it only serves to point out that it starts and ends with his ability to inspire his team because it is his team.
Hopefully, this is the year the Dolphins' culture changes.