Kelly: Expect Breakout Season from Tua in 2023

Tua Tagovailoa had great moments in the 2022 season, but that was just the start for the Miami Dolphins QB

Everything has been building up to this year, this season.

Tua Tagovailoa has seen every possible blitz and coverage a defense can throw at him multiple times. 

He’s a seasoned quarterback now.

Tagovailoa has an arsenal of weapons most NFL quarterbacks are envious of, and last season he silenced most of his critics by becoming the NFL’s top-rated passer (105.5), and produced more big plays than any other quarterback.

There’s now a year’s worth of experience under his belt in Mike McDaniel’s offense and more comfort with his weaponry and offensive line, which should be healthier in 2023.

Put all that together with a new, well-respected defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio), a new offensive line coach (Butch Barry), and three potential contributors who should help the defense tighten its screws in Jalen Ramsey, David Long Jr. and DeShon Elliott, and it’s possible that the Dolphins could replicate what the Philadelphia Eagles did last season, becoming one of the NFL’s powers in a short time span.

TUA CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED

“Whoo. I’m very excited,” Tagovailoa told reporters at his second annual “Luau with Tua” event Monday night. “I think our entire team is excited to get back out there, get to meet a lot of the newer guys. A lot of the newer guys (are) getting to meet a lot of the guys that have been in this system for a whole year now.”

“Whoo! I’m very excited.”

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa looking forward to the 2023 season and talks offseason training. pic.twitter.com/iWzHb36uSW

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) April 10, 2023

The Dolphins begin the team’s offseason workout program Monday with Organized Team Activities (OTAs) slated to start in late May. But Tagovailoa has been holding impromptu workouts with his skill players on a consistent basis.

“Offseason training has been good,” Tagovailoa continued. “Been working on strength in many areas and chipping away at things I felt like I needed to work on to get to where I feel like I can get to in the later part of the season.”

Tua is talking about the playoffs, and not just leading Miami to the franchise’s first back-to-back playoff berth since 2000 and 2001 or the team’s first playoff win since 2000.

Tagovailoa is referring to making the Dolphins a Super Bowl contender, which they should be if injuries don’t derail the season and Tagovailoa takes that next step, becoming a Most Valuable Player candidate, like he was for a small window last season.

When Tagovailoa, who owns a 21-13 record as an NFL starter, was healthy and available the Dolphins were a force last season. Miami won eight of the 12 games he started and finished in 2023. 

And that’s the key, keeping this young quarterback healthy and trending upward.

That journey starts with giving him the right kind of protection, the kind that keeps him upright and helps him avoid the concussions that plagued him in 2022, forcing him to miss 5 1/2 games, which includes Miami’s playoff loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Part of Tagovailoa’s offseason workouts have included jiu-jitsu lessons to better protect himself against blows to the head. Addressing this issue is critical because injuries are the only thing that can derail Tagovailoa from his destiny, in my opinion.

Even before Miami drafted Tagovailoa fifth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, I envisioned 2023 as the season he’d blossom into the type of quarterback the NFL uses to market the entire league.

My theory was that once he got enough experience under his belt — say, 30 games — the traits that made him a record-setting college quarterback at Alabama would make him a top five passer in the NFL.

He’s already shown that his accuracy, ball placement are top shelf.

His pocket presence, feel for pressure, is sensational.

And now pair it with his comfort in Miami’s offense, familiarity with the speed of the game, and understanding of how NFL defenses attack him and he’s finally going to fulfill his destiny.

Think of it as the Drew Brees effect. Brees had four solid seasons as a starter with the San Diego Chargers before elevating his play drastically in New Orleans with Sean Payton as his coach in 2006.

From that season on, Brees was viewed as one of the NFL’s elites, a quarterback opposing defenders feared because of how efficiently he executed his offense, and the same will be said about Tagovailoa this season if he and his weaponry, and offensive line can remain healthy, and pick up where they left off last season.