Fully healthy Tua Tagovailoa now holding Miami Dolphins teammates more accountable

When he was on the field, the Miami Dolphins rallied around starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa last season. Unfortunately, the former fifth-overall pick wasn’t always healthy in 2023, making just 13 appearances.

Yet, when he was active, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to eight wins, placing them on track for the playoffs. While the Dolphins built this stacked roster, it didn’t matter if they didn’t have their leader on the field.

It was clear that finding a way to get Tagovailoa back to 100% was a top priority heading into the offseason, and the Dolphins even came up with a number of unique ideas to help their 25-year-old QB going forward.

After having several months to heal from his last head injury, Tagovailoa is back to being fully healthy, but as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tells it, he’s also taking on more of an on-field leadership role heading into his fourth NFL season.

“I’ve checked on his health, I was told he’s completely healthy now. Not only that, but he’s been working on that Jiu-Jitsu that you’ve heard about. I was told Tua is also taking some leadership steps recently. There was a practice where it was a little bit sloppy. He stopped the whole thing, sort of talked to the offense, maybe even laid into them a little bit. I was told that’s something Tua would not have done a couple of years ago, but now he’s a major voice in Miami.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tua Tagovailoa’s growth

Tagovailoa is not only back to himself, but he’s seemingly taken yet another step in his development. Hearing this, the Dolphins likely can’t wait to see how it translates to the field once the regular season begins.

With Tagovailoa under contract through 2024, this upcoming season will be critical for the former Alabama star as he eyes his first NFL extension. Unless the Dolphins realize they’ve already seen enough to be sold on their former first-round pick, possibly even reaching a new agreement later this summer.