Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa knows what he needs to work on this offseason.
There are physical parts of his game that need improvement, and then there’s the challenge of learning yet another new system in just his third season in Miami.
In a recent interview with Muscle and Fitness, the former Crimson Tide quarterback shared what he’s doing this offseason to prepare for his second season as the starter.
“One of the biggest things for me was building my foundation back up from my feet to my core and then to my arm strength,” Tagovailoa said. “A lot of what I did was tailored to helping me get my arm stronger and becoming more mobile. With having another system to learn — this is the third system — it was really about dialing in on this offensive system, really getting good at the verbiage, getting good at knowing where guys need to line up, and just being able to help guys in that sense. The transition to minicamp can be a lot easier with the guys being here for OTAs.
“I have seen some improvements on being able to push the ball down the field once again. I honestly think it’s just practice. I wasn’t really able to push the ball down the field last year because we didn’t have plays specifically to push the ball down the field. A lot of plays that were called last year were meant for one person. Either this person is open, or the play might be dead. It’s a little different now. My second year was different than my rookie year and this year will be different than last year with how we go about doing things. I definitely feel a lot more confident being able to push the ball down the field. It’s going to be exciting.”
Confidence is key for Tagovailoa. That will play into his ability on the field. After the trade deadline in 2021, and the Deshaun Watson rumors were officially off the table, Tagovailoa’s play improved.
Miami is hoping that with better weapons, a ramped offensive line and an offensive-minded head coach that believes in the quarterback, Tagovailoa will help bring the team to the postseason for the first time in five years and prove that he can be the long-term solution at the position.
