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Tua Tagovailoa says being a father is like nothing he’s ever experienced: ‘There’s no playbook for this’

Tua Tagovailoa and his family

Thanksgiving 2022 offered Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa the new experience of being a father during the holiday.

Tagovailoa and his wife Annah Gore recently welcomed their first son to the world, and Tagovailoa spoke about what he has already learned during the early stages of fatherhood.

“It’s very unique how having a child impacts how you see things differently in life,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s like nothing that I’ve ever experienced. There’s no playbook for this.

“I’ve always had a tremendous amount of heart for kids, but now that I have one of my own, you go home and the best thing is when you see them smile and laughing. It’s the best thing in the world.”

He added that he is excited and grateful about the fact that his firstborn is a boy. He explained why he feels like he has a bit of a head start on raising a boy.

“I thank my Heavenly Father up above that I got a boy first,” he said laughing. “Oh, man. I don’t know what I’d do if I had a girl. It’d be a little harder, I think, because I wouldn’t know what to do necessarily.

“Having been around cousins that have had kids that were boys, it kind of makes it a little easier that I have a boy myself with my wife.”

The newest addition to Tagovailoa’s family is just another wonderful experience in what has almost certainly been one of the best years of his adult life.

During the 2022 NFL offseason, Tagovailoa had to deal with endless questions about whether or not he was capable of becoming the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback. Two mediocre seasons as the team’s starter led many to believe that the answer to those questions would end up being no.

Since then, Tagovailoa has managed to put together one of the best campaigns for any NFL quarterback so far this season. In the 2022 season, he’s undefeated in games that he has started and finished.

He’s also filling up the stat sheet. He has completed 71.0 percent of his passes this season for 2,265 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s already set a new career high in terms of touchdown passes, and he’s got seven more regular season games to add to that number.

At this point, the questions most fans and analysts are asking about Tagovailoa have to do with how elite he can truly be. He’s already making a case to be considered a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. He’s the leader of one of the most electric offenses in the league, and a deep playoff run appears quite probable.

Tagovailoa is certainly thankful for a lot this holiday season. Though his son is incredibly young, chances are good he’ll be a consistent presence in the stands at Hard Rock Stadium for many years to come.