The Miami Dolphins are giving Tua Tagovailoa all the tools he needs to flourish. After an uneven 2021 campaign, he’ll enter his third season with a new coaching regime and the NFL’s fastest receiving duo.
One positive from the quarterback’s second season was his blossoming rapport with Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa’s former Alabama teammate accrued 104 catches for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns in a tremendous inaugural season. They’ll look to build upon that chemistry with help from the newly acquired Tyreek Hill in 2022.
While Tagovailoa’s long-term status remains tenuous in Miami, he has Waddle’s support. The wideout praised his quarterback’s steadiness during Wednesday’s press conference, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk.
“Tua’s been Tua,” Waddle said. “He’s been the same old guy coming in, being consistent, being a leader. Just being a great leader, honestly.”
Per David Furones of the Sun Sentinel, Waddle also joked about racing Hill, saying he’ll need a stealth approach to defeat his new teammate.
“You can’t just race a cheetah straight up. You gotta sneak up on him,” Jaylen Waddle said on upcoming race at some point with Tyreek Hill.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) April 27, 2022
Tua completed 67.8 percent of his passes to notch a 90.1 quarterback rating last year. While he played well enough to lead Miami to a 7-5 record in 12 starts, he often struggled to convert big plays downfield.
With Waddle’s help, the 24-year-old can silence skeptics by taking a step forward this season. If Tagovailoa doesn’t improve, the Dolphins could explore other options next offseason.
The post Jaylen Waddle Makes His Opinion On Tua Very Clear appeared first on The Spun.