Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Takes Blame For Team’s Losing Record In 2024

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said that the Dolphins are struggling in 2024 because of his injury in Week 2. The injury sidelined him for five weeks and severely limited Miami’s offense. Tagovailoa took responsibility for the injury, placing the blame on his poor decision-making.

“I don’t think that shows the character of who we are as a team, doesn’t show the work that we’ve put in this offseason together,” Tagovailoa told reporters when asked about Miami’s 5-7 record. “But nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself, obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down, basically leaving my guys out to dry. That’s what I would say. Anyone can have an opinion about it’s football, it’s this, it’s that, but I do take that to heart as well, so I don’t want to do that to my guys again.”

Early this season, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins seemed like major contenders in the AFC, but losing their passer in Week 2 completely neutered the offense. Playmakers like Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane failed to make any difference as the team skidded to a 2-4 record. 

When Tagovailoa returned, Miami immediately became competitive again. The Dolphins have lost several close games to comparable rivals since, but those defeats would not have had such a massive impact if they were not already in a hole. A Week 14 matchup with the Jets is a prime opportunity to return to .500, but the damage has already been done. With five weeks remaining in the regular season, NFL.com gives the Dolphins a 10% chance of making the playoffs.

Two years ago, Tagovailoa’s concussion issues ended his season prematurely, and the Dolphins were eliminated from the Wild Card round. Even then, head coach Mike McDaniel stood by him, identifying him as the franchise quarterback. The pair have combined forces to create one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, one that was completely unmanageable when several backups tried to step into Tagovailoa’s shoes this season. 

The Dolphins, in their current iteration, struggle with several other boogeymen, chief among them challenging in cold weather and “little-brother” syndrome behind the likes of the Chiefs and Bills. This main issue persists through it all: More often than not, Tagovailoa is as responsible for Miami’s success as he is for their struggles. His presence has lifted the entire franchise, but his absences have doomed it to mediocre results all the same.