Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports
Not many people think Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has what it takes to be an NFL star, but it appears Peyton Manning isn't one of them.
The Hall of Fame signal caller recently praised what the team did with Tagovailoa's coaching last season and liked what he saw from the University of Alabama product this season.
“They did a great job [with] His off-season training and then kind of the approach from [Mike] McDaniel to stay healthy, you know, get the ball out on time, and that made a difference, right? Manning said.
“There's a difference when your starting quarterback is out there every week, especially with a guy like him and what he is [Jaylen] Waddle and Terek [Hill] They were able to do their timing and that offense.
“It's exciting, and the future is even more exciting.”
The 2023 regular season was arguably Tagovailoa's best yet in his four NFL seasons. He completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns.
While some of his numbers are down from last season (as seen here), the most important part may be that he appeared in all 17 games.
He's dealt with a lot of injuries throughout his career, so the fact that he appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Dolphins was a huge win.
Extension talks with the Dolphins are next, but it looks like nothing will really get in the way of a deal getting done. Tagovailoa is signed through the 2024 season at the moment due to Miami picking up the fifth-year option on his contract in March.
For Tagovailoa to get such a strong endorsement from a legend like Manning should make Dolphins fans feel good about the future. Manning won five MVP titles and two Super Bowls during his time in the league. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders to ever play.
Tagovailoa and Manning appear to have a strong relationship, as the former appeared on ESPN's “ManningCast” earlier this season. The appearance saw Tagovailoa have a mini jam session that linked him to Darius Rucker.
While it's great that Manning has confidence in Tagovailoa, some fans would still like to see more from the Dolphins' quarterback, especially in big games.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs in this season's playoffs, Tagovailoa completed just 20 of 39 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Dolphins lost 26-7.
In other important games against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in the weeks leading up to the Chiefs game, Tagovailoa also struggled.
Hopefully the Dolphins can show up in these types of contests next season and beyond. Manning certainly believes he can do it.
