All eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa this season because it feels like it’s now or never for the Miami Dolphins. With a litany of concussions on the QB’s resume and a team that leans heavily on offense, if things don’t click this year, we might start to see some major changes in South Beach. But Tyreek Hill isn’t worried. He’s confident in his quarterback — and he says Tua is showing signs of becoming a true franchise leader.
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Hill didn’t hold back when talking about Tua on an episode of Glory Daze hosted by former QB Johnny Manziel. He believes this will be the year the Hawaiian quarterback takes his game to another level.
According to Hill, Tagovailoa has grown steadily into a leadership role since head coach Mike McDaniel’s arrival in 2022. After two years of adjusting and learning the system, Hill says Tua is finally stepping into his own.
“Tua has gotten better every year as a leader. Ever since Mike [McDaniel] came in, Tua has taken hold of being that franchise quarterback for this team. I feel like this year he’s taking it to another level,” Hill shared.
“The first year was getting acclimated, getting comfortable with who we were as a team. The second year was finding our identity, and we were the number one offense. But this year, I feel like Tua has really grabbed onto being our franchise guy,” he added.
As fans, when we see big trades happen in the NFL, we expect instant results. And while the Dolphins got off to a hot 8-3 start in their first year pairing Tua and Hill, a 1-6 finish to that season and a Wild Card loss brought them back down to earth. The reality is, championship teams aren’t built through blockbuster trades, but by fostering a strong culture around the players already in the building.
That’s why Tua is approaching practice with more fire and urgency, as revealed by Hill. He’s focused on building a culture of accountability in Miami. And he’s not afraid to speak up when something’s off.
“He’s holding guys accountable, he’s making sure guys are at the right spot for him. And he’s f*cking cussing out the old linemen whenever they’re not protecting him. So, I feel like I’m seeing a different version of Tua,” Hill said.
This doesn’t sound like Tagovailoa at all. After getting a glimpse of him on the in-season Hard Knocks, he comes across as a down-to-earth, nice guy. But it seems that at times, his frustration with a lack of success has started to bubble over.
However, Hill doesn’t view Tua’s new leadership style as a negative. He said he saw the same traits in Patrick Mahomes during their time together in Kansas City.
“I remember when I was in Kansas City, I used to see the same thing from Pat, and it was a beautiful thing.”
It’s a lofty comparison, and Tua will need to make a massive jump to get there. Even though he’s played in twice as many games, Mahomes has fewer losses on his record than Tagovailoa. One has been associated with winning and exceeding expectations, while the other is still working to reach his full potential.
That’s why, at the end of the day, Hill can’t say that Tua is better than Mahomes. After all, Tua still needs to prove he can win consistently. Tyreek couldn’t even give his QB a higher Madden rating than Mahomes. He gave Tua a 93, while giving Pat a 96.
So, can Tagovailoa and Hill take the next step? Can Mike McDaniel finally lead this team on a deep playoff run? The time is now, and there’s a real sense of urgency. Fans in and outside of Miami are growing tired of the underachievement. It’s time to bring back the good times of the ’70s for Dolphins fans.
