Tua Tagovailoa doing repair work after controversial postgame comments

After the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa made some comments that could have rubbed some teammates the wrong way.

Perhaps still very frustrated from seeing the Dolphins blow the game in the final minute and lose on a field goal, Tagovailoa called out some teammates, saying that some guys have skipped or shown up to late to players-only meetings.

However, according to head coach Mike McDaniel, Tagovailoa now sees the error in his ways.

“Now that I’ve heard [Tagovailoa’s precise comments] — you guys caught me before I heard them — after a loss as a franchise quarterback, that’s not the place [to say] that,” McDaniel said.

“He knows that now. I honestly believe there was no ill intention. You’re talking about a misrepresentation of player-orchestrated film sessions.”

McDaniel added that the quarterback has “communicated with a lot of guys” following his comments.

“There’s a real easy way to communicate with teammates,” McDaniel said. “That was definitely on his plate last night and this morning.”

McDaniel also shared that players haven’t been late to regular meetings with coaches. The coach explained that Tagovailoa was talking about different meetings in which players get together on their own accord.

If Tagovailoa is right in his assertion that players aren’t taking players-only meetings as seriously as they should, that’s a real issue. But at the same time, he’s better off trying to find a solution to that problem internally, as Miami already has plenty of negative publicity surrounding the team.

Not only that, but it was perhaps a particularly unwise time for Tagovailoa to voice his frustrations, as he was fresh off a woeful game. He set a new season-high with three interceptions (even though they weren’t all his fault), and he threw just one touchdown in comparison.

Tagovailoa’s three-interception game now has him up to seven on the season. For perspective, he finished with the same number of interceptions in 11 games with Miami in the 2024 campaign, and his interception percentage has more than doubled compared to last season.

Ultimately, maybe the best way for Tagovailoa to get his teammates in line would be to lead by example. If he isn’t at the top of his game, it’s very hard to imagine that Miami has any chance of getting back on the right track. With any luck, he will do a better job against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7 and get the Dolphins back in the win column.