Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill isn’t ready to give up on his starting quarterback just yet.
Despite not winning a playoff game in the four years since he’s been in the NFL, former Alabama product Tua Tagovailoa has continued to have support both in Miami’s locker room and the front office.
Reports of contract negotiations have continued this offseason with Tagovailoa entering the final year of his rookie deal that he signed when he was taken with the No. 5 pick in 2020.
While some have questioned the viability of Tagovailoa’s production and criticized his lack of playoff success, arguably the biggest supporter of the quarterback has been his star wide receiver.
Tyreek Hill Defends Tua Tagovailoa
Hill knows what good QB play is. In his first six years in the NFL, he saw Patrick Mahomes rise from a high draft pick to the top quarterback in the league — with a Super Bowl championship to boot.
After requesting a trade two years ago, Hill has since been with the Dolphins and has recorded over 3,500 yards and 250+ total receptions. That production has come primarily with Tagovailoa throwing him the football.
Even as early as their first training camp together, Hill compared Tagovailoa’s ball to that of Mahomes, saying, “(Tua) actually has probably one of the prettiest balls I’ve ever caught in my life.”
Despite the love affair between the quarterback and receiver, the playoff success hasn’t matched that of Mahomes and the Chiefs. Kansas City has won back-to-back Super Bowls since Hill left, with Mahomes winning a league MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
Hill isn’t ready to give up on Tagovailoa, though. In fact, on the Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, the All-Pro wide receiver doubled down on his belief that Miami’s QB can reach new heights as a passer.
“This year for Tua, this is like a build-on season,” Hill explained. “This is obviously his best season of his career. We’re going to go from accurate to that fearless… he’s going to continue to add on to his game. He’s got the skill set.”
Tagovailoa set career highs in 2023 in almost every single statistical category as a passer, including touchdowns, yards, passer rating, and completion percentage. He led Miami to their most wins since the 2008 season despite falling in the final game of the regular season and Wild Card round to the aforementioned Chiefs.
The late-season struggles, though, are why there is some concern for Dolphins fans going into 2024.
Tagovailoa is 32-19 as a starter in the regular season but has a 6-9 record in December and January since his rookie season. Franchise QBs are judged by how they play in the most important games of the year, and Miami has struggled to win those games with Tagovailoa late in the season.
Despite the poor numbers, Hill isn’t concerned about his quarterback entering an important offseason. Tagovailoa is expected to receive a lucrative contract extension with the Dolphins, and Miami is expected to compete for the AFC East crown once again.
At least for the time being, as long as Hill has full support for his young left-hander, the Dolphins appear to be in lockstep.