Tua Tagovailoa hasn't been gone for a month yet, but already the Miami Dolphins are erasing his memory from the team. Earlier this week, the team conducted its first workouts of the offseason, and with it came jersey changes.
Tagovailoa is no longer the number one player in Miami, and his jersey number will now be worn by someone else. The only place to find Tagovailoa's presence is in the Dolphins bargain bin basket at the team store.
With so many new faces on the roster, it was inevitable that Tagovailoa's jersey number would be handed out, but some thought it might take until after the draft later this month.
Miami Dolphins wasted little time letting go of the last Tua Tagovailoa remnant
Jordan Tolbert, who signed this offseason to help rebuild the receiver room, will wear number one this season. In all, 25 players will either change or wear new numbers with the team. Get your money out if you are a collector.
The most notable changes or assignments aside from Tagovailoa's number are as follows.
- Ollie Gordon - 0
- Malik Willis - 2
- TuTu Atwell - 4
- Josh Uche - 9
- Zane Gonzalez - 45
- Storm Duck - 29
Jerseys have always been something fans have taken an interest in, even for players who may be on the lower side of the 53. It's an identity for the players themselves.
Are these jersey numbers final?
Don't spend your money yet. Miami will add players to the roster through the draft, and then again after the draft. There will also be free agents added after June 1st. Those players will all be assigned numbers, and some of what the players are wearing today will be traded or re-assigned after training camp if a player gets released.
Some players, like Gordon and Willis, are probably safe assumptions of what they will wear this season, but until training camp is over, the entire roster of uniform numbers is likely to change in some way.
The Dolphins will hold another three-day work session the week of the draft, with the final day of practices concluding the day of the first round.