Tua Tagovailoa Apologizes To Miami Dolphins Teammates After Grilling Entire Franchise

Tua Tagovailoa needs a few extra sessions on the Jiu-Jitsu mats after crashing out on his Dolphins teammates.

Miami’s 1-5 season is sliding downhill faster than Tyreek Hill in open space, and Tagovailoa is taking the arrows alongside head coach Mike McDaniel, who's a "dead HC walking."

Tua walked into a Catch-22 after Week 6's loss to the Chargers. He threw both the Dolphins' leadership and players under the bus, mentioning players-only meetings seemingly to spite his coach, then calling out teammates for not showing up on time.

CLEVELAND - Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins talks with Tua Tagovailoa prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on December 29, 2024. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

"Well, I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys, and then what we’re expecting out of the guys," Tua said. "We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that?"

"We have guys showing up to player-only meetings late. Guys not showing up to player-only meetings. There’s a lot that goes into that. Do we have to make that mandatory? Do we not have to make that mandatory? So it’s a lot of things of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. It starts with the little things like that."

McDaniel eventually spoke out on the remarks, saying he did not agree with Tua's approach. 

The piping-hot criticism from the Dolphins QB forced him to take a step back and apologize Wednesday to his teammates.

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"I made a mistake, and I’m owning up to that right now. I’ve talked to guys on the team about it, talked to leaders about it," Tagovailoa said.

"They know my heart. They know the intent was right. But no matter the intent, when things get misconstrued, or however the media wants to portray it, that leaves a void of silence and a lot of questions for the guys on our team."

Tua’s standing with the Dolphins may still be firmer than McDaniel’s, but both are on shaky ground. 

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and head coach Mike McDaniel. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

"Now, being 1-5, we talk a lot about, ‘We gotta get this going, we gotta get this going.’ Come in excited to go to work, forget about the noise, and I feel like I just added onto that for our guys," Tua added, taking accountability.

"For myself, I gotta look at myself as a leader protecting the team. I don’t feel like I did that to the best of my abilities. I let the emotions of the game get to me, and that’s something I can learn from. What happens in-house should be protected. None of that should have gotten out. So I want to publicly apologize for that, move forward, and focus on the Cleveland Browns."

Miami's upcoming slate against the Browns, Falcons, and Ravens will give them a chance to heal with wins or crater into a laughingstock of the NFL.

Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins smiles with Tua Tagovailoa #1 prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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