Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa -- whose future with the franchise remains in question -- recently garnered criticism from fans for underthrowing a ball to stud receiver Tyreek Hill in a hype video. But the outside noise hasn't bothered Hill, as he told reporters on Tuesday that, despite joining Miami with low-ish expectations, Tagovailoa throws "one of the prettiest balls" he's seen. He also called the passes "very catchable," and lauded Tagovailoa's accuracy.
It didn't take too long for Hill to serve as Tagovailoa's new hype man. Earlier in the offseason, he became the NFL's highest-paid receiver when the Dolphins gave him a huge four-year, $120 million extension with $72 million guaranteed. It was the cherry on top of a mammoth trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, that featured a sizable draft-pick package. Tagovailoa will have to connect with Hill in order to keep his job, and if Hill wants his targets, it's best to offer praise.
"For him to suggest that Tua's one of the great throwers in the league is pretty wild. And here's where we can effectively say Tyreek Hill's full of it: he's going from a right-handed quarterback to a left-handed one," CBS Sports NFL writer Will Brinson told the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "There's no way in hell that he goes from a right-hander in Patrick Mahomes to a left-hander like Tua Tagovailoa and is like, 'That's one of the prettiest ball I've ever seen.'
"It looks completely different. It's literally spinning the opposite way. Just like lefty punters, the ball is going to look completely different to Hill... I just tend to think it's more likely that he's propping up his young quarterback. Because, maybe even the coaching staff has told him to do that. Or, it's just the obvious thing to do, when you get asked about him... So, I tend to think it's mostly Hill providing some offseason fluff."
Tagovailoa, who was selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in 2020, is entering his third NFL season with immense pressure. In 23 career games, he's won 13 of them, and thrown for 4,467 yards with 27 touchdowns, 15 picks, and a 66.2 completion percentage. The team hasn't showcased a top-10 scoring offense in more than two decades, and also hasn't produced a top-five unit since Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino was in command during the mid-1990s.
Since joining the league in 2016, Hill has been an electric and elusive gadget player, capable of cooking defenders with devastating open-field speed and sharp cuts in between the numbers. In 2021, the 28-year-old had a franchise-record 111 receptions for 1,239 yards with nine touchdowns, and according to ESPN Stats & Info, he's racked up 26 touchdowns on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield over the past five seasons.
The entire NFL conversation between Brinson and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.