Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t shown up to every offseason workout for the Miami Dolphins, but it sounds like he’s putting in a ton of work behind the scenes.
According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, Tagovailoa “dropped 10-15 pounds” in an effort to be more agile.
Tagovailoa is currently set to play on the final year of his rookie contract. Obviously, the former first-round pick would love a lucrative extension from the Dolphins.
Even though Tagovailoa won’t attend every voluntary workout for the Dolphins, he knows he needs to be in top shape in order to get a new deal.
On Tuesday, reporters asked Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel about Tagovailoa’s participation at OTAs. He tried his best to avoid giving out a controversial answer.
“I don’t make a habit of speaking for other people’s mouths,” McDaniel said. “I’ll let you ask Tua.”
Last season, Tagovailoa had 4,624 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for the Dolphins. There’s no question he’s a starter in the NFL.
The real question is how much of a commitment are the Dolphins willing to make? If they’re unsure about Tagovailoa, they may want to let the 2024 season play out. Of course, that could end up backfiring if he plays at an elite level.