“He’s Built Like a Girl Working at Onyx”: Odd Comment On Tua Tagovailoa Lands ESPN’s Ryan Clark In Hot Waters

Tua Tagovailoa is getting ready to make a mark in the 2023 NFL season. Over the offseason, Tua has bulked up his physique, making it a topic of discussion. However, a recent comment from ESPN analyst Ryan Clarke about Tua, has turned heads for all the wrong reasons.

Ryan Clark’s take on Tua Tagovailoa’s physical preparedness has raised eyebrows. Several netizens are claiming that Clark literally body-shamed the QB. During an episode on ESPN’s ‘NFL Live,’ Clark seemed to suggest that the Dolphins QB wasn’t maintaining his fitness regimen or adhering to the team’s nutritional guidance.

Ryan Clark’s Remark on Tagovailoa Turns into Controversy

What was meant to be a light-hearted moment of ESPN’s NFL Live turned into a controversy. This made former NFL player Ryan Clark come under scrutiny. During the show, Clark took a dig at Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. He criticized his offseason regimen and physique in a way that many perceive as body shaming. Talking about Tua, Clark said,

“Let me tell you what he wasn’t doing: He wasn’t in the gym, I’ll bet you that. He might spend a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks ‘happy.’ He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx right now.”

Coming to Tua’s perspective, his transformation has been evident, being noticed by the fans ever since he hit the ground running bak in May 2023. The 25-year-old QB has bulked himself up ahead of the 2023/24 NFL season. However, Clark’s comments shifter the narrative to his weight rather than improvement.

Fans Rally Behind Tua Tagovailoa After Clark’s Comments

The offhand remark by Ryan Clark on Tua Tagovailoa’s physique didn’t go unnoticed by fans. Several Dolphins fans were quick to voice their disapproval. They took to social media to express their disappointment and disbelief in the comments made by former NFL player turned analyst.

On a different note, Tagovailoa’s offseason has been spent to enhance his ability to protect himself on the field. Last season, Tua Taovailoa was diagnosed with two concussions, which ignited massive controversy. To improve upon the frequency of falling down, Tua took a quite unique approach – he incorporated jiu-jitsu training into his routine. Explaining the move, Tua had recently stated,

“I’ve been falling a lot this offseason. For guys at my position, we barely get hit throughout practices, throughout the offseason, even going into training camp. We don’t even get touched until the season starts. So I mean, with jiu-jitsu, I’ve been thrown airborne, I’ve been put in many uncomfortable positions for me to learn how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in.”