As Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa remains in the spotlight, his response to narratives
The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa remains one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL, even as he has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks this season
He leads the league in passing yards (3,921) and completion percentage (71 percent) with three games remaining in the regular season. He ranks second in passer rating (106) and is tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (25).
His strong play has Miami on the verge of a second straight playoff berth, its first division title since 2008 and potentially the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
And yet, whether it be from present and former players or anonymous polls, there have still been questions about the merits of Tagovailoa’s accomplishments and how much he is a driving force for the Dolphins’ success.
For much of the season, there has been a debate over whether Tagovailoa or wide receiver Tyreek Hill is more valuable to the Dolphins’ offense. Tagovailoa has been described as the point guard of the unit, but Hill has established himself as the most explosive player in the league, whose unparalleled speed has opened so much not only for him but for his teammates as he draws attention.
But in the Dolphins’ 30-0 shutout win against the New York Jets, Tagovailoa did his part to dispel those notions. With Hill sidelined by an ankle injury, his first missed game as a Dolphin, Tagovailoa completed 21 of 24 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown.
Tagovailoa on Wednesday gave a pointed response to the talk around him and the team.
“Everyone wants to make this about me and Tyreek, like, please keep pushing it to Tyreek,” said Tagovailoa, who last week called Hill the team’s Most Valuable Player. “Make it about Tyreek. I understand that my platform and who I am in this league as a quarterback makes me, if you want, polarizing, whether I’m the best, whether I’m the worst. I [couldn’t] care less.”
He added: “All the narratives about it, sure, I’m only good with Tyreek. You’re right, that is the only time I’m at my best. You’re right, I’m only good when Jaylen [Waddle] is in. I [couldn’t] care less about it. Sure, if Jaylen and those guys are out, I’m only as good as Raheem Mostert allows me to be. That’s what the narrative needs to be, and we’re able to win games and we’re able to go as a team.”
Coincidentally, a top player from the Dolphins’ opponent this week, the Dallas Cowboys, is among those who questioned how valuable Tagovailoa has been to Miami.
Linebacker Micah Parsons, while speaking on his podcast earlier this month about the legitimacy of the MVP candidacies for Tagovailoa and Hill, said: “I truly believe I can be Tyreek Hill’s quarterback. I could throw it up to Tyreek Hill.”
Coach Mike McDaniel has said throughout the season that the conversation shouldn’t be so much about who is more important to the team, but the accolades that they have garnered together as one of the best duos in the league.
But the second-year coach has especially seen growth from Tagovailoa as he gears for a telling three-game stretch to conclude the season.
“He’s playing the quarterback position better than he had at the beginning of the season,” McDaniel said. “Numbers are numbers, but he’s learned stuff that is tangible as you progress through the season and that’s a tremendous responsibility to have the football every play and he doesn’t take that lightly.”
For what it’s worth, Hill has publicly supported Tagovailoa as the team and league MVP. Tagovailoa has said he’s not concerned about such talk but the Dolphins will need him to be at his best if they want to clinch the division and possibly the No. 1 seed in the final weeks of the regular season. And that begins on Sunday against the Cowboys, a team he was a fan of as he was raised in Hawaii.
While Tagovailoa has had detractors, his popularity is an at all-time high, as shown by his leading the league in fan voting for the Pro Bowl. It’s an awkward spot for someone who values his privacy, but he’s appreciated the support.
“Every time I step foot out on that field and I see someone wearing my jersey, I I want to prove myself right but prove to those people as well,” he said. “You had to have bought that just bought for a reason. Whether you’re a fan of me as a football player or a fan of my journey or a fan of things I’ve done, every time, that’s super cool.
“Because as a kid growing up, I would do the same for other players. I’d wear their jerseys hoping to be like them. And then it’s come full circle. So to be able to hear [he leads fan voting], that’s very cool. That’s very cool just how that process works. It’s cool, but like I said, it’s also a little little weird when I become the spotlight of it.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2023 at 4:51 PM.
