Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa opens up about injury history

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa understands he's worth little to the Miami Dolphins if he's unavailable during seasons. 

"I think I’ve got to do what I’ve been doing this past year, outside of injuries," Tagovailoa said about proving he can be Miami's long-term starter during a conversation with Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post. "Just the way I play football, play my style of football. But I think the things that have hurt me have been just the injuries. And so, you know, I've been working really hard to, you know, hopefully, elongate myself, you know, throughout to withstand seasons. And so, you know, we'll see how all that plays out. And God-willing, I can make it through the entire season and we can win a playoff game, we can win a Super Bowl, all of that good stuff." 

Tagovailoa generated headlines throughout the 2022 season for emerging as a Most Valuable Player candidate but also due to the fact he suffered a minimum of two reported concussions. The head injury he experienced in Week 16 on Christmas Day prevented him from playing in the final two contests of the regular season and in what became a playoff loss at the Buffalo Bills, and he ultimately remained in the league's concussion protocol for over a month.

Despite understandable concerns regarding Tagovailoa's durability, the Dolphins picked up the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract that guarantees him roughly $23.2M for 2024. He's since spent portions of this offseason training in jiu-jitsu and sporting a newly designed helmet in attempts to avoid concussions. 

Tagovailoa indicated the Dolphins can do more than pursue just a playoff berth now that they're entering a second-consecutive training camp with Mike McDaniel serving as their head coach. 

"With this being the first time as an offense, we get to come back understanding the plays already kind of molded into the offense a little more, I think," Tagovailoa explained. "I think it can get very, very scary, pretty dangerous."

Per ESPN stats, Tagovailoa finished the 2022 regular season leading the league among qualified players with an average of 8.9 yards per pass attempt and a 105.5 passer rating. He was ranked third with a 68.8 adjusted QBR, but most will remember he was also sidelined when the Dolphins needed him most. 

Miami realistically could go in a different direction at the position next winter if Tagovailoa ends another campaign as a spectator rather than as an active participant.