Tua Tagovailoa, much like the Miami Dolphins as a whole, continues to search for his own identity. This year, he might actually find it.
In the history of the Dolphins, no player has split the fan base as much as Tagovailoa. Five years into his NFL career, the same fans who supported him do so today, while the other half haven't changed their opinions either. Making it worse, there is no middle ground, at least not without taking jabs from both sides of the fence.
Tagovailoa's injury history is noteworthy, and that is something he must protect himself from, but his leadership has also been a question. Tagovailoa hasn't held his team to the standards elite quarterbacks do. A leader, yes, but not a guy who is going to command the respect, demand the respect, and show his team that he is someone worth playing for and around. Now, that might be starting to change.
Miami Dolphins may be getting a new version of Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins have been conducting OTAs this month, and next week starts a mini-camp. So far, Tagovailoa has reportedly looked sharp during the sessions, but these sessions are not always open to the outside media. Luckily, the players are speaking up.
Austin Jackson - "[Tagovailoa's] definitely a lot more confident and decisive on and off the field. He knows what people are supposed to be doing in terms of training. He knows what we’re doing on the field. He knows how to take care of his body. He knows how to unite guys, bring us together for team camaraderie and stuff, just to get together. He’s a full-blown leader, and I think he’s showing that he wants to take control of this team, and he is.”
Jaylen Waddle - "[Tagovailoa] looks confident, coming out with a different swag. He’s got dye in his hair and some other stuff. He looks like he’s just eager to play man.” Waddle himself is finding this offseason to be much more rewarding as well; he, too, has been turning heads.
Mike McDaniel - "[Tagovailoa] had most ownership of all the players on each and every down, particularly in non-passing downs. There were double motions where he was aligning people appropriately. He really had command and resolve within the practice of things – sometimes football for a quarterback can be uniquely challenging, because you have the ownership of the operation of the whole unit."
Last year may have been the wake-up call for the Dolphins' franchise quarterback. He missed four games with another concussion and sat on the sidelines watching the team he was supposed to be leading win and lose. Perhaps Tagovailoa got more complacent about his injury history, given he wasn't hurt the year before.
When he did return, he wasn't the player we saw in 2024, and there was regression; then his late-season hip injury was yet another reminder of how fragile the sport can make an athlete. Again, watching from the sidelines, Tagovailoa could only watch the team miss the playoffs.
If Miami is going to win in 2025, Tagovailoa has to remain healthy, but more importantly, he needs to become a leader the other players want to die for. Those are the QBs that find ways to win because the players rally around them late in close games. If Tagovialoa is making those moves, becoming more vocal, and holding his teammates (and himself) accountable for mistakes, it's a good step in the right direction.