Miami Dolphins hope QB Tua Tagovailoa's trucking days are over

When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned from a concussion in Week 7 of the 2022 season, one of his first plays was a scramble from the Pittsburgh Steelers' 11-yard line.

He lowered his shoulder and charged toward linebacker Devin Bush, turning a risky move into a 5-yard gain. Although the game only resulted in a field goal, it symbolized its competitive nature and raised concerns about its long-term durability.

Now, almost two years later, that version of Tagovailoa – who once passed through Jets defensive back Michael Carter in 2021 – should be a thing of the past after his latest concussion, which was the result of the collision with Buffalo that he initiated or At least it could be Bills safety Damar Hamlin at Hard Rock Stadium on the night of September 12th.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa apologized after he came to the sidelines after rushing into Bush that Sunday night in October 2022, but said he “needed that.”

Two years and two concussions later, things have changed.

“I think he has a better understanding of his responsibilities to the entire organization at this point,” McDaniel said. “My answer would be: “You don’t need that.” this time.”

After a 2023 season in which Tagovailoa stayed healthy by sliding instead of facing defenders, the Dolphins are hoping he starts making smarter decisions again, starting with his scheduled return Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. Protecting his body is paramount if Miami hopes to end a season in which they went 2-4.

McDaniel's message is clear: The Dolphins need a healthy quarterback who can't recover from unnecessary hits.

“He’s just in a different place as the leader of this team and feels a tremendous amount of responsibility to do everything he can to be on the field. That includes protecting yourself,” McDaniel said. “I have to make sure he's protected properly, but at the same time I can't control everything and he has to be able to protect himself — regardless of the first-down conversion he's trying to get — so he can do it. “When he's on the field with his team, he has to be smart about socializing.”

For Tagovailoa, moving away from his physical, aggressive style of play is part of a broader commitment to staying healthy and leading the Dolphins long-term. While his instincts still urge him to fight for extra yards, he claims to have learned the importance of self-preservation.

“You just have to be smart,” he said. “Throughout my football days I was a competitor and that was or was kind of my advantage coming out of high school and even in college I did the same thing,” he said. “You just can’t do that. So we definitely have to stay more available to the team, the organization and our guys.”

Tagovailoa's teammates have also noticed the changes in his approach.

We love him. We love him from brother to brother. He is a big part of this team.

– Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

“We all joke and laugh, but seriously, he knows he needs to protect himself better,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “Only he can control these things, and he understands that it will continue in the future.”

Tagovailoa managed to stay healthy and play every game in 2023, and a big reason for that was his ability to avoid unnecessary hits.

Instead of charging into defenders, he threw the ball away when a play failed or he slipped on contact, a tactic that helped him avoid the injuries that have blighted his career in the past.

For one thing, wide receiver Tyreek Hill has no problem with a lot of slides from Tua.

“Damn right, you say it (expletive) all the time,” Hill said. “When we played the Colts, you saw the fans start clapping for Anthony Richardson when he slipped. I said our fans need to clap for Tua and make him slip. We need you, brother, at the next game.” (Laugh) Come on, (expletive). This (expletive) is real, it's real. We love him. We love him from brother to brother. He is a big part of this team.