Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner went through a lot more ups and downs than Tua Tagovailoa has in his short career. Despite facing far more adversity and heartbreak, he still managed to earn the respect of his teammates.
That is something the Miami Dolphins quarterback is slowly losing a grip on.
Following the loss on Sunday, Tagovailoa once again managed to shift the blame to others before taking accountability for his own blunders. His leadership is in question, and he may not recover. If Mike McDaniel is close to losing the locker room, Tagovailoa may already have.
Kurt Warner and others are seeing what Dolphins fans are tired of seeing in Tua Tagovailoa
I hear your point… but being a PRO means you have a standard that you hold yourself accountable to no matter what… it’s not expecting someone else to hold you to that standard, get you ready to do your job or motivate you to want to be great!!!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 12, 2025
To blame another… https://t.co/eCP62wR3tv
Deflection may be a better word to use when describing Tagovailoa's relentless escape from responsibility. He has said the words, "I have to play better," but they often come with a caveat that more often than not is pointed at someone else.
"To blame another person/coach/etc for your lack of professionalism is a cop-out IMHO!!!"Kurt Warner via "X"
Dolphins fans have been saying the same thing for weeks, if not years. Tagovailoa cannot lead men because he struggles to take accountability for his own play. It's one thing to pat your chest and say, "I have to play better," but you don't say that publicly about your teammates.
Last week, the Dolphins quarterback said he doesn't listen to the outside noise, but he clearly does. His family can't shield him from the negativity, no matter how much he wants to pretend it does. He has to hear it in the locker room. If he doesn't, the loud thundering silence from his team will eventually land inside his head.
Warner isn't the only one noticing, however. Former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth took to "X" and said, "Woof...'That's on you bud" after Tagovailoa opened a comment with "It starts with the leadership."
What he is missing is that he is the "leadership." This is the disconnect. Tagovailoa isn't a leader. He doesn't possess that gene. He goes out and plays football, but when the pressure is on him and he fails, there is always somebody else to point at. Someone who didn't run the correct route, or make the right block, or call the right play.
De'Von Achane spoke about the team's leaders holding the rest of them accountable, but who are the leaders? McDaniel? Hasn't been since he got here. He lets the team govern and hold each other accountable. Tagovailoa? Not even a little.
The truth is this team can't follow a leader they don't respect and Tagovailoa continues to give them reasons to not respect him. Great quarterbacks don't stand in front of a mic and say what he did. They say, "It starts and ends with me and I'm not doing enough."