“From the offensive perspective, the defense had the best of us,” Tua Tagovailoa had said after Day 12 of the Dolphins’ training camp. This was a few days before the Dolphins’ preseason opener, when the quarterback could not find rhythm with the offense, and the concern isn’t new. Tagovailoa’s history of three concussions in three years already raises doubts about his rhythm with Miami’s offense. So, wouldn’t more preseason snaps help him settle in? You’d think so. But under head coach Mike McDaniel, those snaps have steadily declined with just 15 in 2022 to 13 in 2023, and only 5 in 2024. Has the head coach been protecting the franchise quarterback or holding him back?

Recently, when the Dolphins’ preseason opener arrived against the Bears, Tua Tagovailoa faced his toughest challenge yet. It was his first time playing in a preseason opener in four years. He started sharp, completing five of six passes for 27 yards with an 85.4 passer rating. But then things unraveled. The safety from the other side picked him off on a throw to Chris Myarick. Another safety intercepted him on a pass to Tarik Black. LB Tremaine Edmunds grabbed another in the red zone. Chicago’s defense sacked Tagovailoa twice in a row after a tackle for loss. By the time Tagovailoa threw his third interception, Miami’s sideline had lost energy. Then Zach Wilson stepped in and hit Andrew Armstrong for a touchdown, flipping momentum again. But then the Dolphins’ offensive line didn’t help.

LB Noah Sewell stuffed Jaylen Wright at the goal line. Wright later scored on a 7-yard run, but the game stayed unpredictable. Backup QB Quinn Ewers went 5 of 18 for 91 yards but led a scoring drive. Rookie Ollie Gordon’s 1-yard TD gave Miami a late lead, but the game ended 24-24. After the game, Tua revealed it was McDaniel’s call to play the starters for just one series. “That was boss man’s decision,” he said. Did that decision rob Tua of much-needed rhythm? Or was it the right move to keep him safe?

Now, an anonymous offensive coach just offered a blunt take: “They literally cannot operate the offense when he is not out there, and then they are a top-10 offense when he is. I don’t even like watching him play, but at this point, I can’t say you are not that guy.” Love him or doubt him, the numbers back it up. Miami has been 40-24 with Tua Tagovailoa (.625) and 7-13 without him (.350). Still, the postseason story remains the same. 

Since drafting Tua Tagovailoa in 2020, Miami has reached the playoffs but never advanced beyond the wild card round. With Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley also starting games last year, chemistry with receivers has been hard to build. So, this season, while the Dolphins focus on keeping Tagovailoa healthy, they also need to get a sense of what he can do with his weapons before the regular season begins. And this becomes even more necessary for Mike McDaniel after the quarterback’s painful performance in the joint practice against the Bears. 

Tua Tagovailoa’s struggles at joint practice bring more troubles for Mike McDaniel

Joint NFL preseason practices are far from being perfect, but it is a crucial stage for many teams as they fine-tune their strategies and assess player performance. But in the lead-up to their preseason opener, the Dolphins’ joint practice against the Bears was particularly challenging for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. 

Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions and missed several throws during the joint practice. From the first 11-on-11 snap, the offense looked out of sync. De’Von Achane was stuffed. Tua overthrew Jaylen Wright. Elijah Campbell locked down coverage for a throwaway. Even when Tua connected on a 25-yard pass, CB Ethan Bonner stripped it away. The Bears particularly disguised coverages and collapsed pockets, forcing the Dolphins’ quarterback off his platform. There has been a noticeable dip in Tua Tagovailoa’s efficiency under pressure from last year’s highs. Does this mean he needs better protection calls or focus on quicker releases?

After practice, Tua Tagovailoa owned the performance. “Results based, bad,” he said. But he saw value in the reps. Facing another team’s schemes, he argued, builds fundamentals and technique. That’s fair – but after two weeks of training camp, can fans accept more “learning days” before seeing results?

The Dolphins are walking a tightrope. They want to keep Tua healthy, but he also needs chemistry with his weapons. The more he sits, the longer it might take to find that connection. Yet every snap comes with risk. Moreover, with a roster built to contend, patience will wear thin fast. And for Mike McDaniel, that could mean facing more criticism than just preseason chatter.