The Dolphins displayed their level of commitment to Tua Tagovailoa by announcing that they’ve picked up the quarterback’s fifth-year option earlier this month.
As the offseason continues, head coach Mike McDaniel said over the weekend that Tagovailoa is doing well after finishing the season in the concussion protocol.
“He’s doing great,” McDaniel told NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero at the league’s annual meeting. “He’s had a really good offseason with his family and training and positioning himself to feel good moving forward. He’s very healthy, vibrant, and I can see a hunger in him that I’m excited to watch play out.”
Tagovailoa had his best season as a pro in his first year with McDaniel. The quarterback completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 games. He led the league at 8.9 yards per attempt, 13.7 yards per completion, and a 105.5 passer rating.
Tagovailoa, 25, impressed McDaniel with what he was able to accomplish.
“He’s a younger player and he’s very honest and candid. But it also gives me a barometer,” McDaniel said. “He was doing a lot, he’s got a lot of room to grow, let’s just say that. He did an unbelievable job being able to lead an offense in year one. That’s a new language. This is his first year where he’s going to have continued offense, play caller, and position coach.”
With the moves Miami has made so far, if Tagovailoa can stay healthy in 2023, the club should be in a position to contend in the AFC>
