Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is no stranger to scrutiny. He has faced both the media and fans as they have openly supported and discredited him. From concerns about his ability to stay on the field to his actual quarterbacking skills, it seems as if he was just a target. Tua never faltered; he continued to put his head down and work to perfect his craft and show respect to the media and the fans. Most people will argue about what he can or cannot do on the field, but none can doubt the kind of person he is off the field. 

 

Since being drafted with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the number one cause for concern has been Tua’s injury history; at the time, he was coming off of a devastating hip injury that saw him miss the remainder of the 2019 college football season. Despite being medically cleared by his first season in the NFL, Tua faced an uphill battle as 2020 also saw the arrival of COVID and a nonexistent offseason program. Tua rode the bench for most of his first year until then. Head Coach Brian Flores decided to start Tua during a week seven matchup against the Los Angeles Rams; Tua notched his first win in the NFL that game. Tua would go on to finish that season 6-3 as a starter, but not without controversy, as he was benched on various occasions in favor of then-backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

 

After the 2020 season, there seemed to be a lot of news popping up that the Miami Dolphins were looking to make a change at quarterback. There were rumors of Stephen Ross being interested in Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson. Naturally, Tua was peppered by the media regarding his status as the quarterback of the future for the organization. The 2021 season saw Tua take the role of the bonafide starter. However, the injury narrative crept in once again as Tua suffered cracked ribs in the week two matchup versus the Buffalo Bills. Tua was placed on injured reserve and proceeded to miss the next three games. Tua was then forced to miss another game in week four due to a finger fracture for a total of 4 games missed during the season. Still, he remained strong and confident that he could be a starter in the league and one of the top-rated quarterbacks. 

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The following offseason found the Dolphins making a change at the head Coach position, with Brian Flores being fired and Mike McDaniel taking the helm. McDaniel wasted absolutely no time in showing his confidence that Tua could be great and would be the optimal fit for the offense he was looking to run. In 2022, McDaniel was proved right in his belief as we saw Tua play leaps and bounds better than he had in his previous two seasons. Still, this time, Tua would suffer a devastating concussion during a week four matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tua would spend the next three games on IR before making his return on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tua decided to drop his shoulder and initiate contact on two separate occasions almost to prove his toughness. 

 

After his return, Tua went on a stretch of 3 games, putting up three touchdowns, 300 yards, and no interceptions, beginning to talk of him being a potential MVP candidate. Even with hype starting to build around him, Tua remained humble and maintained his professionalism. Tua’s season came to an end after a second concussion on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers, also resulting in a missed playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. 

 

The 2023 offseason program is underway, and Tua is once again in good health and good spirits; McDaniel and many media members covering the Dolphins have stated that Tua has really stepped into his leadership role and has proven it day in and day out. Tua also showed how aligned he was with the Dolphins community when he donated to a Go Fund Me for Eric Carmona, the founder and content creator of the TuAnon Twitter account. Eric was a valued Dolphins fan space member and an avid Tua supporter. Tua showed his gratitude and respect with a generous donation proving that his heart is as much with the fans as their hearts are with him. Debates will continue to go on about Tua, the quarterback, but one metric that almost every person will agree on is Tua, the person. 

Prayers go out to the family of Eric Carmona during this difficult time.Â