Fresh off his mega contract extension, Tua Tagovailoa has stirred up quite a conversation with some revealing remarks about his experience with former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Tua opened up about how Flores’ “discouraging” coaching style took a toll on his confidence. And now, Falcons QB Kirk Cousins has weighed in on the matter, adding his own experience to the growing discussion.
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During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Cousins emphasized the importance of “the power of a coach believing in you.”
While he did acknowledge the rarity of effusive praise in NFL quarterback rooms, Cousins shared a pivotal moment from his time in Washington that left a lasting impact. Cousins revealed that Mike Shanahan once lauded his “impressive” performance and even expressed how proud he felt of him.
This unexpected praise caught Cousins off guard, leading him to believe it was a prank. For Cousins, who grew up in an environment where positive feedback was scarce, that experience made him understand how a coach’s belief can have a profound effect on a player’s confidence and performance.
Cousins drew parallels to his current situation in Atlanta, praising head coach Raheem Morris for fostering a positive, supportive culture. This approach, he noted, aligns with Tagovailoa’s comments that quarterbacks thrive when they feel their coach’s confidence.
The veteran QB also shared an anecdote involving Mike McDaniel, Tagovailoa’s current head coach in Miami. During their time together in Washington, where McDaniel served as wide receivers coach, he provided Cousins with a confidence boost that left a lasting impression.
McDaniel’s advice for Cousins “changed the course of his career”
During that same pivotal summer when Shanahan offered his encouraging words, McDaniel, then a position coach, suggested Cousins read “Talent is Overrated” by Geoffrey Colvin.
This gesture also caught Cousins off guard, as he’d never before had coaches recommend reading material. He added:
“Learned about what it means to have deliberate practice from that book and to this day, when I practiced against the Dolphins, I said, “Hey, Mike, thanks for recommending that book. Deliberate practice kind of changed my life and changed the course of my career.’”
The Dolphins head coach expressed surprise that Cousins had taken the suggestion to heart and applied it for over a decade.
This moment really underscores the lasting influence coaches can have on their players’ careers. It also sheds some light on Tagovailoa’s recent comments about coaching styles.
Coach McDaniel seems to embody the kind of supportive, growth-focused coaching that both Cousins and Tagovailoa find so valuable.
