There’s an overused cliché in sports activities {that a} participant turns right into a Unused Guy firstly of a pristine season.

That’s now not precisely what has came about with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. He’s other, sure, possibly even in considerable and tangible tactics. However he’s now not all of sudden remodeled. And that’s a excellent factor. Tua is, if not anything else, certain of himself — and true to himself. And possibly he’s letting us see extra of his character than ever.

Initially of extreme season, Tagovailoa was once an under-discussed MVP candidate. He was once taking part in higher than he’d ever performed, with aid from the most productive supporting forged he’d ever had, which integrated receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The 3 of them are again at it, nonetheless below the management of Miami schoolmaster Mike McDaniel.

Then one month, Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passing yards. Hill leads the NFL in receiving yards and receptions and is fasten for the govern in receiving touchdowns. The Dolphins offense seems like one of the vital very best gadgets within the league, if now not the very best.

“It’s Week 1,” Tagoaviloa stated Wednesday. “Everyone overreacts on everything. [That’s] my personal opinion. Take that for what it’s worth. You’re either going to win the Super Bowl after you win your first game or you’re the worst team ever.”

That’s a relatively standard reaction from Tua, who has a tendency not to get too prime or too low. He remains humble, regardless of the honour or the complaint. He even stayed humble extreme 12 months amid experiences that the Dolphins had prior to now took a peek on Tom Brady — one of the vital tenuous pace in Tagovailoa’s profession to life. Tua is in most cases even-keeled.

However now not all the time. No longer anymore.

The haters were getting below his pores and skin. And future he stated Wednesday, “I don’t pay too much attention to the outside noise,” we in fact now know that’s now not completely true. When ESPN’s Ryan Clark not too long ago mocked Tagovailoa for gaining weight — with Clark pronouncing Tua “wasn’t in the gym” — Tagovailoa answered by way of telling Clark to “keep my name out your mouth.”

I’d by no means open or heard of Tua doing the rest like that. He heard the noise. He stood up for himself. It was once superior.

And it’s now not the one example. One thing indistinguishable came about on Wednesday.

When requested if he thinks somebody remains to be pronouncing he can’t throw deep, Tagovailoa’s emotion perceived to get up quite.

“I don’t care,” he stated. “I mean, I don’t care — 466 [yards] is … that’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep. Thanks.”

It indisputably turns out like Tua does support. A slight bit. 

And to somebody who doesn’t assume he can throw deep, Tua is pronouncing: scoreboard.

The Dolphins quarterback simply threw for 466 yards in a Moment 1 shootout through which he outdueled Chargers celebrity Justin Herbert. At the side of prominent the league in passing yards, Tagovailoa leads the NFL in moderate intensity of goal (for quarterbacks who finished no less than one move). He finished his deep passes (makes an attempt that traveled 20-plus yards) at an distracted clip: 5-of-6 for 161 yards, one landing and one interception.

And he did it in a QB competition towards Herbert.

Herbert is an noteceable persona in Tua’s tale as a result of they entered the league in combination in 2020. Herbert and Tua had been foils from a chance viewpoint. Tagovailoa had a robot potency at Alabama with the entire supporting forged a school quarterback may just ask for. Herbert was once all possibility, and not using a splendid supporting forged at Oregon however with a novel talent prepared and a cannon of an arm. Herbert had remarkable contact within the deep recreation — Tua was once incisive in trim and intermediate throws. The Dolphins went the safeguard direction: Tua at Negative. 5 total. The Chargers went dangerous: Herbert at Negative. 6 total.

Supposition who already has his assurance extension? And assumption who doesn’t?

Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million offer this offseason future the Dolphins have Tagovailoa taking part in on his rookie offer, which can pay him $4.738 million this 12 months. It’s a stark distinction — and one the Dolphins will quickly must rectify if Tagovailoa assists in keeping lights up defenses. And consider me, he’s moving to book lights up defenses as long as he’s wholesome — possibly, partly, as a result of how feisty he feels. Even the Dolphins are wondering him (together with the media and the fanatics). 

Miami is maintaining this assurance over him. He’s thriving below the drive.

“We see it every day, what he does in the offseason, how hard he works,” tight finish Durham Smythe stated when requested about Tagovailoa’s luck. “It doesn’t surprise any of us. I think that was just more validation than anything. Obviously, we all expect big things from him the rest of the season in this building, and I think some people outside are starting to see that as well.”

Part of Tua’s offseason was once spent purposely thickening up. He placed on muscle weight to aid him resist a season of hits. And with Tua, he has to imagine his historical past of concussions. He suffered two documented concussions extreme 12 months. In flip, he has taken up Jiu-Jitsu in hopes it could aid him fall extra gracefully — and keep away from smacks to the pinnacle.

His feistiness, his intentional weight achieve, his Jiu-Jitsu coaching — all of them display how the veteran quarterback is changing the best way he does issues. And thus far, the effects were not possible to dispute. It’s only one recreation — however it could were the most productive recreation Tagovailoa has ever performed, with an illustration that his psychological equipment (prospect, optical regulate, progressions) and bodily equipment (contact and pace) are at a pristine degree.

It will be a disservice to mention it is a Unused Tua. For essentially the most section, he has all the time been like this. He’s simply doing what the most productive quarterbacks do: He’s tweaking issues to produce certain he’s as true to his talents as he can also be. And with regards to letting his feelings display in entrance of the media, it sort of feels he’s looser. He’s extra sovereign. 

In all probability it’s refuse accident that’s how he’s taking part in at the ground, too.

Previous to becoming a member of FOX Sports activities because the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years masking the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Staff and Boston Globe Media. Apply him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

---

---