Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, is under increasing fire after a poor start to the 2025 NFL season. The Dolphins opened up the season with their first 0-3 start since 2019. Tagovailoa’s early struggles are amplified by the fact that he currently sits 29th in quarterback rating, with a paltry 35.8 rating. He’s not pushing the ball downfield, averaging a measly 6.4 air yards per attempt, good for 25th in the group. He’s thrown at least one interception in every game Miami has played this year.
Besides his subpar stats, Tagovailoa’s long injury history cannot be easily dismissed. In 2024, he missed a career-high six games due to various injuries. This, of course, led to worry about his durability and ability to make calls and play fast from the field. Even with all this adversity, he’s determined to get better and is putting his focus on staying healthy first and getting back on the court second.
“Getting low and covering up is the most important thing,” Tagovailoa said. He put emphasis on how serious he is about his health and playing this game for a long time.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has defended Tagovailoa in public during this key interval. He complimented the signal caller’s mindset, explaining that Tagovailoa has repeatedly “answered the bell 99 percent of the time. And McDaniel believes there are still areas for Tagovailoa to raise the level of his game. He continues, “The franchise quarterback’s game is never really perfect. There are plays out there that he should be more proactive in seizing the opportunity.”
His performance has thus far been clouded, not only by numbers, but by the perception placed on him due to the nature of his contract. Consequently, his pay scale has recently started being compared to other high-profile quarterbacks, like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Indeed, former NFL QB Cam Newton pointed out that Tagovailoa’s salary is more than a lot of other stars in the Tom Brady league. He continued, “In this case, it needs to be more dollars, more strings attached.”
Newton articulated his concerns with Tagovailoa’s state of mind. He wishes he could have back the “quiet Tua” from Alabama, the one who played with a chip on his shoulder. This feeling is indicative of a larger, foolish punditry cry that Tagovailoa has to get that dog in him to be a successful quarterback.
In response to these criticisms, Tagovailoa asserted in his defense that being an NFL quarterback is not easy. “Well, shoot, anybody can play quarterback in this league then,” he said. He continued, “I think it’s really nice to have a clicker and talk through it like that, because it’s a lot easier to point out what bad practice looks like when you’re not the one doing the practicing.”
As this season continues, it will be just as important for Tagovailoa to show that he can bounce back from hard knocks and tough times. His performance will not only determine his future with the Dolphins but how he is perceived within the league.
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