Tua Tagovailoa has gone through extreme measures to make sure he is not only healthy, but also become a leader on his team.
Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL career has been full of twists and turns. Tagovailoa has faced numerous setbacks since entering the league in 2020, and after seemingly turning a corner, was given a couple crushing blows after sustaining multiple concussions during the 2022 season.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend that Tagovailoa is “completely healthy” right now after suffering multiple concussions last season, and he’s been a “major voice” for the Dolphins in OTA practices this week:
“I’ve checked on his health, I was told he’s completely healthy now. Not only that, but he’s been working on that Jiu-Jitsu that you’ve heard about; how to fall forward, how to protect his head in the pocket. Well, I was told the Dolphins actually implemented some of those Jiu-Jitsu workouts with their quarterbacks before practices. So, trying to get everybody used to falling down and being able to protect yourselves. I was told Tua is also taking some leadership steps recently. There was a practice where it was a little bit sloppy. He stopped the whole thing, sort of talked to the offense, maybe even laid into them a little bit. I was told that’s something Tua would not have done a couple of years ago, but now he’s a major voice in Miami.”
Tagovailoa has gone through a few measures to ensure his health for the 2023 season and beyond. Most notably, he has participated in jiu-jitsu to assist with falling properly to prevent concussions and other injuries.
The 25-year-old suffered two confirmed concussions during the 2022 campaign, including one in a Christmas Day loss to the Green Bay Packers that went unchecked during the game.
Tua missed regular season games as well as the team’s playoff loss as well.
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Despite the head injuries he suffered, the team showed their confidence in him by picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which guaranteed his $23.2 million salary in 2024.
Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and completed 64.8 percent of his attempts in 13 starts. The Dolphins went 8-5 in those games.
The team seems on the cusp of making a big jump if Tua can stay healthy for all seventeen games.
We shall find out in 2023.
