Tua Tagovailoa says he is not taking criticism from anyone he does not know, calls out ‘clickbait’

Not everyone is confident in Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but the haters don’t bother him. Tagovailoa said he is ignoring negative comments and if he does not know someone personally, he feels no need to take into account their opinions. 

After an offseason of many saying this is the year Tua needs to prove himself after two less than impressive seasons in the NFL so far, No. 1 is making sure he does not let the noise get to him.

“I don’t know any of those guys. If that’s what they have to say, then good for them. … They draw people for clickbait or I don’t know, whatever that is,” Tagovailoa said.

The 24-year-old continued, saying, “If I can’t hear you, you’re not that important to me. If you’re in my circle and I can hear you, what you’re saying, obviously you’ve got to be extremely important to me. So, if I can’t hear it, then it’s probably not important.”

With major decisions coming next year about his fifth-year option and any extensions, the pressure is certainly on to see what the former first-round pick can deliver. 

Head coach Mike McDaniel says he likes that Tagovailoa has high standards, but wants to ensure that there is a healthy balance. 

“Tua is super hard on himself, which is a good thing, but too much of anything in excess isn’t. He has high standards. I don’t want it to impede the next play,” McDaniel said. 

He asks that Tagovailoa works on having “deliberate intent on each play,” and works on his “short-term memory.”

Not everyone is critical of Tua, but his new wide receiver Tyreek Hill is the other extreme to the point where it could add too much pressure on the QB. Hill has called Tua the most accurate quarterback in the league, says he is more accurate than Hill’s former quarterback, Patrick Mahomes and says those who criticized will soon be eating their words.

Hill either knows something we all do not, or he is throwing out major statements to motivate Tagovailoa, but as of now it would seem difficult for Tua to reach the expectations of “The Cheetah.”