Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa offered a candid critique of former head coach Brian Flores, contrasting his experience with Flores to his current relationship with head coach Mike McDaniel.
Speaking on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” Tagovailoa shared his perspective on the stark differences in communication styles between the two coaches.
He described Flores’ approach as harsh and demoralizing, recalling how it impacted his confidence during his early NFL career.
“To put it in 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 right,” Tagovailoa said.
“And then you have somebody come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this, you are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that…”
Tagovailoa emphasized how these contrasting messages influenced his mindset.
“How would it make you feel listening to one or the other? … And then you hear it, regardless of what it is, the good or the bad, and you hear it more and more, you start to actually believe that,” Tagovailoa said.
He added: “You could be the president of the United States. You have a terrible person that’s telling you things you don’t want to hear or that you probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself. That’s sorta what ended up happening.”
Tagovailoa played his first two seasons under Flores, posting a 13-8 record but struggling to meet the high expectations set for him as a top-five draft pick.
During that time, he threw 27 touchdowns against 15 interceptions, with a modest average of 6.6 yards per attempt and 194.2 passing yards per game.
Under McDaniel’s leadership, however, Tagovailoa has experienced a major resurgence.
In the past two seasons, he’s recorded 54 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and an impressive 8.5 yards per attempt, averaging 272.4 passing yards per game.
Reflecting on this transformation, Tagovailoa credited McDaniel’s positive reinforcement with helping to undo the negative conditioning from his early years.
“It’s basically been two years of training that out of not just me, but a couple of the guys as well that have been here since my rookie year,” Tagovailoa asaid.
Flores, who coached the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, was dismissed after posting a 24-25 record over three seasons.
Reports at the time suggested that his firing was due in part to strained relationships with Tagovailoa and general manager Chris Grier.
Flores is currently serving as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
What are your thoughts on Tua’s comments???