The Miami Dolphins paid a lot of money to sign Tua Tagovailoa to be the face of the franchise, and not having him on the field does no one any good.
In all, the Dolphins' highest-paid player in franchise history missed four critical games early in the season and the final two games when the team needed him the most. Tua being on the field against the New York Jets in Week 18 would not have changed the outcome of the season and their potential playoff bid, but the look of seeing him on the sideline in street clothes is tough to swallow.
Chris Grier heralded Tua's leadership growth in 2024, but he also gave an update on the quarterback's hip injury and the outlook for next season.
Grier was asked about the injury and whether or not it could be a problem down the road, specifically in 2025. The Dolphins GM said there is "no concern at all." Grier categorizes the injury as unique but not something they need to worry about long-term. He immediately, for the second time, talked about Tua's leadership qualities and how he is the quarterback who can run Mike McDaniel's system.
Chris Grier gets honest about Tua Tagovailoa needing to protect himself
Grier said that he and McDaniel have talked about Tagovailoa's growth and how they are pleased with the fact there is still room for him to get better as a quarterback.
"And again, it's his availability of controlling what he can control, like throw the ball away, you don't have to run around and be Superman, live for the next play," said Grier. "The sooner he understands that – which he's told Mike and I he understands that clearly, because this was hard for him, missing these last two games after he played all last season."
Tua has said on two different occasions that he has to be better on the field. He followed up the first comment about that by diving head-first between two Houston defenders and hurting his hip. The Dolphins need him to be more self-protective if he is going to continue to play in the NFL.
It is funny that Grier knows Tagovailoa has to be better with his decisions but has only just realized the importance of having an offensive line to protect him. Ultimately, the only one who can do that is Tagovailoa himself. If the Dolphins are going to win with Tua, he has to be available because the Dolphins don't need an expensive sideline leader — that's McDaniel's job.