Tua Tagovailoa says he would trade his popularity for success on field ‘in a heartbeat’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s jersey was among the top-five sellers this past season on NFL.com.

It is an impressive feat for any player, let alone one who was a rookie last season.

However, Tagovailoa explained in a recent interview that he would trade his popularity for success on the field any day.

“I’d say it did surprise me, but it shows the support the fans in Miami and Dolphins nation have for our team,” Tagovailoa told SportingNews.com. “It’s very honorable to say the least that a lot of Dolphins fans want to buy my jersey. At the end of the day, I think popularity falls on the last of my list of things that I want.

“I just want to help my team win games, man. If I could give up the whole popularity deal and win a Super Bowl, then I would do that in a heartbeat.”

Tagovailoa went 6-3 in his nine starts as a rookie and helped lead the Dolphins to a 10-6 record.

However, Miami was blown out in a must-win Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills and missed the playoffs.

Tagovailoa finished the season with 1,814 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

While there certainly is room for improvement, the University of Alabama product showed that he can win ball games in the NFL.

The Dolphins will look to continue to build around Tagovailoa this offseason in hopes that they can make the playoffs in the 2021 campaign.