Snead Connects with Tua ... In More Ways Than One

New Miami Dolphins wide receiver Willie Snead IV looked back on his regrettable tweet but more importantly looked ahead to his new opportunity

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Willie Snead IV (83) during the warmups before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

In his first practice with the Miami Dolphins, Willie Snead IV caught a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during a one-on-one period.

The on-field connection came after the two players made sure to connect off the field, something that probably needed to be done after Snead's since-deleted tweet criticizing Tagovailoa during the playoff loss at Kansas City.

Snead then made sure to address the tweet head on when asked by South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Chris Perkins after practice Thursday.

"Yeah, to be honest, like I was watching the game," Snead said. "I'm a fan of the game, and I was rooting for the Dolphins that game. I wanted the Dolphins to get past the Chiefs. And I was emotional about it, and I tweeted something I probably shouldn't have, and I regret it today, but me and Tua talked last night, working on a handshake, and we already completed one pass in one-on-ones, so we put that behind us. We kind of talked about it, and we're moving on from it."

Newly-signed Dolphins WR Willie Snead IV on his unflattering tweet about Tua in January, a tweet that’s been deleted pic.twitter.com/wjEhUurWI1

— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) August 1, 2024

SNEAD LOOKING TO HELP TUA NOW

Snead officially joined the Dolphins on Wednesday when they signed him and waived rookie defensive tackle Mario Kendricks to make room on the 90-man roster.

After spending the past two seasons bouncing on and off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, Snead is excited about his new opportunity.

"I'm just excited to be a Dolphin, man," he said. "I'm a hometown kid. I'm from West Palm Beach, so it is a joy for me to be here and to put these colors on. So, I'm just here to work hard, to establish myself as a veteran and do everything I can to help this team take the next step to get to where the ultimate goal is."

Wide receivers coach Wes Welker left the 49ers to join the Dolphins before Snead arrived, but he's still very familiar with his game — and he likes it.

"I've been a big fan of Willie for a long time," Welker said. "And got a lot of respect for his game as far as his slot play and being able to get edges and be able to separate and get open. He's been fun to watch over the years, and we're happy to have him here and hopefully have him contribute in the same ways we're asking a lot of these guys to contribute —  in the run game, and then being able to separate and all those different things when it comes to man-to-man coverage and know to be as far as your spots against zone. He's done that a lot throughout his career."