Tua Tagovailoa makes promise to Dolphins after latest injury setbacks

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's health concerns are once again hovering over the organization ahead of the regular season. 

During a recent appearance on NFL Network, Tagovailoa made somewhat of a promise to the Dolphins about what he will and won't do during games in 2025. 

"Me not putting myself in situations where I’m not available for my team, and then we take it from there," Tagovailoa said about how he's approaching the upcoming season, Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith shared. "If I can stay healthy for our guys, I believe, and I think the team believes, that I give us the best chance to go do what we say we want to do."

Staying healthy has been a challenge for Tagovailoa ever since the Dolphins selected him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Thus far, he has started every game during a season just once (2023) as a pro. Most recently, he missed four contests after he suffered his third reported concussion since 2022 in Week 2 of the 2024 campaign. A hip injury later sidelined him for the season's final two games.

In November of last year, Tagovailoa seemed to annoy head coach Mike McDaniel when the 27-year-old lowered his head to make a tackle following an interception and took a knee to the helmet. Tagovailoa's comments on NFL Network indicate he knows he needs to avoid such contact moving forward. 

McDaniel is reportedly on the hot seat this summer after he failed to notch a playoff victory across his first three seasons with the Dolphins. While Miami signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4M deal last summer, some think he could be shown the door next offseason if he goes down with another significant setback or disappoints with his play. 

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Dolphins at -275 betting odds to miss the playoffs this season. 

"A lot of the guys on the team, we hear the noise, we hear all that, but it’s OK," Tagovailoa added about what's being said about the Dolphins during training camp. "It’s OK for people to have their opinions. What are we going to do about it?" 

The first thing Tagovailoa can do is prove he can complete a full season.