Tua on getting support from teammates in offseason: ‘I’d never had teammates ever be vocal for me’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is having what seems like a breakout season. Through four games played, he has 1,035 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns.

The 24-year-old appeared in a recent episode of “Football Night in America.” During one part of the show, host Maria Taylor asked him about his thoughts on what it was like to have his teammates rally behind him amidst a barrage of criticisms.

“I would say, first off, different because I’d never had teammates ever be vocal for me. In the past, I would say I’ve never been in the position that I’ve been in, where it’s kinda been, ‘Are you the guy? Are you not the guy?’ I would say my whole life, I’ve been the guy, growing up, playing football. For me, that was kind of a first, having guys rally behind me, coming to my defense.”

This past offseason saw Tagovailoa receive a huge amount of support from other Dolphins players.

For instance, cornerback Xavien Howard stated that Tagovailoa was “bombing” his passes during team practices over the offseason.

That skill was evident in the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Trailing by three touchdowns entering the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns in the final period alone. Miami ended up winning the contest 42-38.

Similarly, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle fired a warning to the rest of the league in early July, stating that Tagovailoa was looking “scary.”

Dolphins youngster Jevon Holland also showed support for his teammate when videos of Tagovailoa lighting up training camp practices made the rounds in the offseason.

It seems that Tagovailoa is repaying that trust, as he has won three games in the 2022 campaign. His lone loss came in Miami’s Week 4 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals when he sustained an injury that caused him to miss the next two matches.

The teammate that has probably been most vocal about his confidence in Tagovailoa’s talents is newcomer Tyreek Hill. The star wide receiver declared back in May that the University of Alabama product is a “heck of a talent” and that the sky is the limit for him.

It is widely believed that Miami will only go as far as Tagovailoa can take them. So far, that has rung true because the Dolphins have lost both games that he’s missed, falling to 3-3 in the standings.

Fortunately for the organization, Tagovailoa will be back for its Week 7 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.