Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke openly and candidly about what he perceived as the biggest differences between Mike McDaniel and Brian Flores as a head coach.
Flores was hired as the Dolphins coach after winning Super Bowl LIII as the defensive play-caller under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. He coached in Miami for three seasons, including Tagovailoa’s first two years in the NFL, before he was ultimately fired by the team.
Tagovailoa has excelled more under McDaniel than he ever did under Flores. He was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023 after putting together a career-year with 4,624 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
“To put it in simplest terms,” Tagovailoa said, when appearing on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” if you woke up every morning, and I told you you suck at what you did, that you didn’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right—and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this. You are accurate. You are the best whatever. You are this. You are that.’ How would it make you feel listening to one or the other?”
“If you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong, that you shouldn’t be here, that you haven’t earned this…
and then someone come and tells you, ‘You are the best fit for this…How you that make you feel?”
– @Tua describes the… pic.twitter.com/bBHI6IsVlj
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 19, 2024
Since his run as a head coach came to an end, Flores served as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers before moving on as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
The disconnect with his young quarterback, regardless of the reasons, didn’t do him any favors in Miami. However, at only 43 years old, Flores is still a tremendous defensive mind with a bright future as a coach in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Tagovailoa is realizing his full potential under McDaniel, who ended a five-year postseason drought for the Dolphins.