The 2024 season could prove pivotal for Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins.
Beyond the Dolphins aiming to take major strides from stumbling down the stretch last season before ultimately falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card round, Tagovailoa is set to enter the 2024 season under the final year of his rookie contract.
Not only did Tagovailoa report to Dolphins OTAs, despite his contract uncertainty, he also reportedly dropped weight over the offseason.
“Tua was in the building, throwing passes, and doing everything as normal,” according to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. “He forecasted that. I’ll be in OTAs, and will leave all of that contract stuff to my agent. Right now, contract negotiations are still ongoing, nothing is imminent yet, from what I understand.
“I talked to people around Tua and the Dolphins, and there isn’t much concern about this … He’s down to 220 pounds, from what I understand, and dropped 10-15 pounds this offseason, already.”
According to Wolfe, Tagovailoa hopes that by shedding some of the weight from his prior playing-weight in the 230-pound range, he will be even more mobile and agile than he was previously.
Last season, Tagovailoa rushed for just 74 yards, while posting a 101.1 passer rating and finishing the season with a career-high 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Whether Tagovailoa and the Dolphins end up agreeing to terms on a new contract before the season kicks off remains to be seen, but, Miami’s signal caller appears to be doing everything necessary to build on his strong performance in 2023.
