Miami Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa faults previous head coach Brian Flores, labeling him as a 'poor-characterded individual'.
On "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," the 26-year-old quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, discussed the contrast between Brian Flores' coaching style and their current head coach, Mike McDaniel.
"Let me put it this way," Tagovailoa explained, "if you awakened each day to hear me tell you that you're a lousy player, that you don't belong on the field, that somebody else should be here instead, that you haven't earned your spot, and then another person enters the picture saying: 'Hey, you're the perfect fit for this. You're precise, you're the best at whatever, you've got this, you've got that' – how would that make you feel? You get the idea?"
Tagovailoa went on, "And then you keep hearing it, whether it's positive or negative, you start to actually accept it as truth. It doesn't matter who you are – even if you're the President of the United States. If you've got a jerk telling you things you don't want to hear or shouldn't be hearing, you're going to start believing it about yourself."
Tagovailoa continued, "Basically, it's been two years of adjusting to that mentality – not just for me, but for several of the guys here since my rookie year right up until now."
CNN reached out to Flores and the Minnesota Vikings, his current team, for comment.
Flores, now in his second year as the Vikings' defensive coordinator, was the Dolphins' head coach when Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Throughout their two-year stint in Miami, Tagovailoa played in 23 games, accumulating 4,467 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The group struggled with injuries and consistency, failing to make the playoffs in both seasons.
Flores was let go in January 2022 and was subsequently replaced by McDaniel. Since the switch, Tagovailoa has flourished. In McDaniel's first year, Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in just 13 games, despite missing four due to multiple concussions, ultimately earning him a Pro Bowl selection.
Last season, Tagovailoa started in all 17 games for the first time in his career, leading the NFL with 4,264 passing yards, completing 69.3% of his passes, and recording 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Dolphins made the playoffs in both seasons led by McDaniel.
Despite the Dolphins falling short in the postseason in the past two years, Tagovailoa's development has been apparent, culminating in a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million with the team last month.
On Monday, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell spoke in support of Flores, telling reporters, "I don't typically comment on stuff that happens in other teams or what players say about those teams, but I can tell you that I know who Flo works with, and they genuinely enjoy playing for him. They have great relationships here – it's just that simple, and that's all I can say."
Tua Tagovailoa mentioned that the positive coaching style of Mike McDaniel contrasts greatly with the critical approach of their previous head coach, Brian Flores. Despite the challenges of adjusting to negative feedback, Tagovailoa has thrived under McDaniel's supportive coaching, leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in both seasons.
