Tua Tagovailoa has been the face of the Miami Dolphins of the 2020s, showing impressive flashes and playoff appearances. However, never had the Hawaiian native bring his team past the Wild Card; worse, he’s also subject to constant injuries, affecting Miami’s runs. Tagovailoa’s issues made NFL icon Steve Young give insight into why such stuff happens.
Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall by the Dolphins in 2020. A National Champion and a Consensus All-American, the former Alabama Crimson Tide led the league in passing yards, passer rating, and completion rate in different seasons. Often, at the cost of it, he gets injured. In 2024, he was subject to a concussion after running headfirst into Damar Hamlin in Week 2’s game against the Buffalo Bills, which Miami soon lost, 31-10.
Speaking on Rich Eisen’s show on Wednesday, Young urged Tua Tagovailoa to find a balance between being aggressive and protecting himself, emphasizing the reduction of unnecessary risks on the field.
“Tua’s gotten in trouble when you try to be heroic,” Young said [00:39]. “And you just got to be smarter than you know as you age trying to figure it out. But if you’re not going to give that threat at the line of scrimmage, you won’t reach the Super Bowl. He has to figure out a way to present that threat without putting himself at great risk.”
Moreover, Young added that Tagovailoa faces a difficult balance on his play style while playing healthy and available.
“It’s football; you put the helmet on, you got to go out and play, so no matter what happens, you’re at risk. That’s where the maturity is,” Young added. “Tua is in a really tight spot. To be able to play the game the way it needs to be played and also make sure he remains available—it’s a hard spot for him.”
Tua Tagovailoa addresses calls for safer play
During the Dolphins’ minicamp last Tuesday, Tua Tagovailoa addressed the lingering issues surrounding his risky play on the field. The 27-year-old promised that he’ll play safer and more patiently ahead of the upcoming season.
“I would say the longevity for me to be on the field with my guys is more important than whatever that one play is,” Tagovailoa said. “You have more quarters than there would be within just that one play that I’m trying to show the guys that I’m competitive and whatnot, and I know they know that, but it’s just nature.”
Tua Tagovailoa said his hip started to feel back normal in February. He did not want to reveal exact injury but says the key for it not to reoccur is for him to protect himself consistently:
Tua talks how his mindset shifted on protect himself, slide & make different decisions: pic.twitter.com/jQhNxOrqAK
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) June 10, 2025
Tua Tagovailoa really needs to work on his safety in the offseason, especially as Miami’s hopes for a good run are far from over.
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