Tua Tagovailoa has taken off under Mike McDaniel’s guidance, and it’s something the head coach has greatly enjoyed getting to witness.
Tagovailoa’s hold on the Dolphins starting quarterback job was tenuous at best when McDaniel took over in 2022. But from the beginning, McDaniel has voiced confidence in Tagovailoa, and the quarterback has responded by playing the best football of his career under the former 49ers offensive coordinator.
The 2023 season was Tagovailoa’s best to date. He was in the thick of the MVP conversation throughout the season, even more impressive considering his concussion-marred 2022 campaign, and established himself as one of the top players at his position. The Dolphins rewarded him accordingly this offseason, signing the 26-year-old to a four-year, $212.4 million extension.
It’s been a meteoric rise for Tagovailoa. Despite being a player who for so long was so polarizing, having Tagovailoa is something McDaniel told Joe Rose on Tuesday is something he doesn’t take for granted.
“I think it’s really cool to see someone fully committed to being their best self, that’s what I’ve watched,” McDaniel said of Tagovailoa. “I’ve never and won’t put a ceiling on exceptional players such as Tua, and he surprises me but doesn’t surprise me with everything he does. I don’t take it for granted, and appreciate everything that he does in a unique fashion – like totally taking ownership of his career like he has.
“But at the same time, I’ve learned working with him that what I see right in front of me that day is a better version than the previous day, but it isn’t the complete version that I’ll see next week or next month. That’s why you get into coaching. My job is to maximize the players' talent, and to see guys improve and have success at what they love and what they’ve always loved and what’s been their life commitment, it’s why you do what you do.”
This is a big year for Tagovailoa. Look no further than Daniel Jones and the New York Giants as evidence that a breakout year followed by a big extension doesn’t always signal smooth sailing going forward. But it’s indisputable that at this point Tagovailoa has shown the ability to put everything together and play at an elite level, and McDaniel seems to believe that will remain the case going forward.