Tua’s ex-trainer drops telling reaction to criticism of QB’s mobility

There was a time when the mobility of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was an ingredient to his overall success as a player. Nowadays, there’s a sense that he has lost a step or two in that area of his game.

After a veteran NFL scout said Tagovailoa is “not as twitchy or explosive” as he used to be, trainer Nick Hicks, who used to work with the quarterback, seemingly hinted that there may be a correlation between his dip in mobility and the fact that they stopped working together.

It’s possible that injuries are partly responsible for Tagovailoa’s quickness taking a step back compared to seasons past. After all, he’s suffered at least three concussions at the NFL level and dealt with an injury-plagued 2024 season, as head and hip injuries limited him to 11 games played last season. He also went through injury setbacks in college. It could all be catching up to him.

Unfortunately, Tagovailoa simply didn’t have much success as a passer for the Dolphins this season. He is tied with Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith for the NFL lead in interceptions thrown with 15 to his name.

Tagovailoa’s mobility, when at its best, helped him make out-of-structure plays with his arm for Miami. It never really translated to him being a huge rushing threat, but in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins, he did finish with at least 100 rushing yards and three rushing scores (giving him six total). He hasn’t had a single rushing touchdown since then.

Tagovailoa’s lackluster mobility is just one component of what turned his 2025 season a nightmare, and it seems like the writing is on the wall for his Dolphins tenure. While nothing is official just yet, his time with the team could come to an end in the offseason. That will be a key storyline to follow as Miami looks to turn its trajectory around.