Did you ever wonder what it feels like to be constantly criticized and praised simultaneously? Well, the Dolphins‘ quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, seems to have that experience, which led to a dramatic shift in his football career. Moreover, the difference between his journey under two coaches is nothing short of a Hollywood script.

On 19th August, Ari Meirov shared the candid interview session of Tua, from The Dan Le Batard Show. The QB opened up about his emotional toll from his early rookie days under Brian Flores, “If you have a terrible person telling you things you don’t want to hear, or things you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re going to start believing that about yourself.”

Moreover, as per Fitzpatrick, an analyst for Prime Video’s pregame, halftime, and post-game show, Tua was ‘broken’ by the way Flores treated him. Tagovailoa further contrasted Flores’ negative reinforcement with the motivating approach of McDaniel, which helped him battle all the self-doubts, “And then you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this.” But that wasn’t the only time when Mike became a breath of fresh air for Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins’ HC has constantly praised the QB on his offseason work and progress, “He’s building up that confidence in himself and you can just tell.” McDaniels further emphasized that Tagovailoa’s practice sessions were quite impressive, “Even out here making these throws. He’s doing what he needs to do, and that’s what you want to see out of a guy like him.” And that’s not all, as Tagovailoa’s improvement has been commendable under Mike.

While Tua started 21 games under Flores and recorded 4,467 passing yards, the QB now boasts of 8,127 passing yards under McDaniel from his last 2 seasons. And that’s not all, as he was also voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023. Well, Mike’s coaching seemed to have unlocked the true potential of Tua Tagovailoa. And what’s next?

Tua Tagovailoa heads into the new season with high hopes, as he gets his hand on a lucrative contract from the Miami Dolphins.

With a new contract comes a stellar performance: Tua Tagovailoa’s preseason debut

“I‘m fired up for the organization, really fired up for Tua and the work he’s done to receive something like that,” said McDaniel in July. And this was followed by Tagovailoa, securing a massive 4-year $212.4 million contract extension that fixed his spot at Miami through 2028. Moreover, the QB also has the chance of earning $55.35 million a year if he excels in the coming seasons and leads his team through the playoffs. And, it looks like the 26-year-old is already on his road to excellence.

On 18th August, Tua had a perfect preseason debut against the Commanders, completing all 5 passes for 51 yards, topping it off with a TD. This astonishing preseason performance impressed Mike as he praised Tua’s strong decision-making skills with minimal nervousness, “I thought it was just us executing some of our day-one concepts.” Moreover, to everyone’s surprise, the QB excelled without the presence of key playmakers, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill.

With a breathtaking performance on his preseason debut, will Tagovailoa be the ocean to carry his Dolphins to the Super Bowl? Well, the wait is not long as the season is knocking at the door.