Heading into 2022, there’s one storyline that every member of the Miami Dolphins fanbase, media and staff will be following this season, and that’s the performance of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The narrative that this season will decide the former Crimson Tide signal-caller’s career is a tired one, but it’s still one that holds true. If Tagovailoa can’t perform up to expectations with a new offensive-minded head coach, an improved offensive line and more weapons, it’s unlikely that he’ll have an opportunity to start for Miami in 2023.
So, with the first training camp under new head coach Mike McDaniel beginning, what is the coach telling and asking of his quarterback?
“It’s deliberate intent on each play,” McDaniel said. “A quarterback’s job is exhausting, in terms of, you’ve gotta know a lot of things. He recognized that in OTAs and put in more time this offseason than I think he has with football in that regard.
“What I really want to see from him is Tua is super hard on himself, which is a good thing. But anything in excess isn’t the best thing, either. He holds himself [to] a high standard. I don’t want that to impede when things don’t go the way he wants. I don’t want that to impede the next play… He has such a natural football presence on the football field. Who cares if there’s one [mistake]. Again, like every quarterback, it’s not if but when. Those short-term memories that’s what I think you can really work on in training camp right now and moving forward as the leader of our team.”
There’s a lot of pressure on Tagovailoa’s shoulders this year, and that’s no secret. McDaniel has been supportive of the Dolphins quarterback as the franchise guy this offseason, so he will have his head coach as a resource to rely on this year, something that might not have been as accessible in the past.
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