Mike McDaniel has become a household name thanks mainly to his creative schemes and hilarious statements at the podium. However, when it comes to it he is not one to silence his thoughts. On the days after Tua Tagovailoa opened up on the harsh time he spent under the tutelage of Brian Flores during his first years on the Miami Dolphins, McDaniel stood by his QB.
When the news broke out the NFL universe echoed Tua’s criticism and while some stood by Flores’ side others highlighted the positive effects McDaniel has had on Tagovailoa ever since his arrival at Miami. After a disappointing rookie and sophomore season, Tua took his game to another level on McDaniel‘s scheme and finished the 2023 season as the league’s passing yards leader.
The spotlight is now on Tagovailoa and the Dolphins and many would wish Tua had kept silent rather than adding a whole another layer of pressure to what already is a crucial season for the glory-striving Dolphins. McDaniel is not concerned one bit, though.
“In this world or in this league on a football team, you can’t hide. And if your mind’s somewhere else, you may not tell me, but you’ll show me. . . .” McDaniel said during an interview on SportsCenter. “I know from previous conversations, you know, some years back, he was going through a rough time, rough patch. But, honestly, that’s in the wind.”
Tua Tagovailoa before the game between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots (NFL 2023).
As it stands, Tua has not made any additional comments. As McDaniel expressed he just wanted to get that weight off him and is now focused on the NFL season ahead.
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Tagovailoa’s first seasons in Miami were chaotic in many ways. The bad play on field was accompanied by irregularities in the front office of the Dolphins and a tough leader in Brian Flores. Tua was sidelined often, sometimes due to injuries and others because of a coaching decision.
Fast-forward two years later and Tagovailoa has become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Such has been his turnaround he is now the third-highest paid player in the league. It was not magic, and Tua didn’t hold back at the man in charge during his toughest times.
“To put it in the simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this,” Tagovailoa said about Flores.
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After his 3-year tenure at the Dolphins, Flores became senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And following the 2022 season he took on a job as defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. As the schedule would have it, Tua and Flores have only met in the gridiron once since. And although Tua had not stated expressively the bad blood between them, it was clear they were not on the best terms.
“I’m genuinely happy for the success that Tua’s had. I wish nothing but the best for Tua. Really, more than anything, I’m just focused on the 2024 Vikings,” Flores had to say on Tua’s comments towards his coaching antics.
