One good thing about the coming NFL offseason is that we should all feel relatively safe from more promotional material from Tyreek about Tua’s accuracy.
First things first: we’re very glad that Tyreek Hill is happy with the Miami Dolphins. He’s got a trendy head coach in Mike McDaniel. He’s got a tremendous running mate in Jaylen Waddle. Most importantly, he pays no state tax on his newfound generational wealth and plays in a great spot for weather, locale, and nightlife. If he’s happy, we’re happy.
If that’s not true for you, even at this point as a Kansas City Chiefs fan, then we don’t know how to help you. Tyreek gave the bulk of his prime to the Chiefs and turned into the most talented wide receiver in franchise history in front of our eyes. He pushed aside any gadget roles he could have easily filled and put in the hard work to become a WR1. Anything that was called a weakness at any point became a strength, and the Hall of Fame will one day welcome him with open arms. And he will likely enter as a Chief.
Just about the only thing that was not so appreciable about Tyreek came during the last offseason when he decided to start a podcast and, in general, talk a lot more than ever before as a professional football player. In the process, he felt a clear desire to talk up his new environs (e.g. teammates) which meant getting a steady dose of quotes about Tua Tagovailoa.
We’re glad that’s over.
It makes sense that Tyreek would talk up Tua to the press. It’s what he’s supposed to do is play the role of offensive leader and team captain. When you make that much money, the team is asking you for more than on-field production. Being a vocal supporter of his quarterback is the script that Tyreek is supposed to follow.
The part that went overboard last spring was that Tyreek would not stop talking about Tua. It’s one thing if a random reporter blindsided Tyreek to get a quote on Tua. It’s another if he just continues to freely offer them up. Over time, it all begins to sound like someone who is insecure, someone who feels the need to fill the air with more bloated statements in case we didn’t believe him the first 500 times.
Throughout the process, Tyreek was always positive about the quarterback with whom he played in K.C., but he also would compare Tua with Mahomes in these laughable statements that largely turned off fans—at least in Chiefs Kingdom. One such statement even said that Tua was more accurate than Mahomes.
Imagine our surprise with the season potentially on the line for the suddenly spiraling Dolphins in Week 16 when facing the Green Bay Packers. Instead, Tua ended up throwing three interceptions, which cost the Dolphins a potential playoff spot in primetime. They all came in the second half and his performance overall was abysmal. As a fairly average dude, I’m pretty sure I would only throw two interceptions in a similar position—only because I would insist on handing the ball off to someone else every time. Either way, Tua was not so accurate after all and admitted as much after the game.
"“It was just terrible how everything ended,” Tagovailoa said after the game. “Like I told the guys, that’s on me and I’ll definitely get better from that.”"
Tua has certainly had a nice year with 25 touchdowns, a career-high, to 8 interceptions but five of those have come in the last four games. As the Jets have started to sway and the Patriots fade from view, Tua and the Dolphins could have cemented their place in the postseason pecking order. Instead, they’re teetering on the brink and much of that is due to Tua’s inaccuracy when it counted the most.
While we’re not sure what will happen with the Fins or the Chiefs this year until all the games are played, it seems relatively safe to assume that our days of listening to overwhelming praise for Tua Tagovailoa are over. That’s gotta be worth a little something.