Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Tuesday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been in and out of the team’s voluntary offseason program. Tagovailoa participated Monday but was absent Tuesday to play in Nick Saban’s golf tournament.
McDaniel would not reveal whether Tagovailoa’s absence was contract related.
“I don’t make a habit of speaking for other people’s mouths,” McDaniel said. “I’ll let you ask Tua.”
Tagovailoa has not been sitting around the house eating bonbons when he’s not at the team facility, though. He has lost “10 to 15 pounds” this offseason, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reports, putting Tagovailoa around 220.
The Dolphins list Tagovailoa at 227 after weighing 217 at the 2020 Scouting Combine. Tagovailoa added weight during the 2023 offseason and took jiu-jitsu after multiple concussions the previous season.
Now, though, Tagovailoa is seeking to be “a little more agile” and add “a little more escapability” in 2024, Wolfe reports.
“The results speak for themselves,” McDaniel said. “He’s svelte.”
In 2023, Tagovailoa started every game of a season for the first time. He led the league with 4,624 passing yards while also throwing for career-highs in touchdowns (29) and interceptions (14).