MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa apologized on Wednesday for his statements after Sunday’s loss against the Chargers, where he criticized his teammates for being late to exclusive player meetings.Tagovailoa began his press conference by apologizing and taking responsibility for the impact of his comments on his teammates.
The quarterback added that he felt he had added more noise to the situation, instead of protecting the team as a leader. He acknowledged that the emotions of the game overcame him.After Sunday’s 29-27 loss, Tagovailoa was asked how to prevent players from feeling bad after a 1-5 start to the season. The player commented that the team’s leadership needed to clearly define expectations for the rest of the team, and that those expectations needed to be met.The Dolphins’ quarterback pointed out that some players were arriving late or not attending the exclusive player meetings.Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel called Tagovailoa’s comments “misguided” and made in an inappropriate forum.Several players, such as Rasul Douglas, Aaron Brewer, and Patrick Paul, avoided commenting publicly on Tagovailoa’s message, arguing that team matters should be handled internally.Zach Sieler, defensive tackle and team captain like Tagovailoa, stated that everyone has “the right to their opinion”, but preferred not to criticize the quarterback.McDaniel indicated that he has had no problems with player attendance at team meetings, and that Tagovailoa’s comments referred only to exclusive player sessions.In previous seasons, the Dolphins had problems with tardiness and absences in team activities, but several players and coaches assure that those problems are a thing of the past.Tagovailoa explained that his original comments stemmed from frustration, and conversations with his teammates opened him up to perspectives he hadn’t previously considered.Miami’s season start is the worst since 2021.Tagovailoa mentioned that the current adversity allows players to get to know each other better, but that the difficult start has not fractured the team.I made a mistake and I’m acknowledging it right now. I’ve spoken to the guys on the team about it, with the leaders, and they know what’s in my heart. They know the intention was good. But regardless of the intention… when things are misinterpreted or how the press wants to portray it, that leaves a void of silence and many questions for the players on our team, now with a 1-5 record.
Tua Tagovailoa
