Tagovailoa Attributes Loss to Height Issue

Tua Tagovailoa pointed to his height as a factor in his limited connection with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle during the Dolphins’ 31-6 defeat against the Browns on Sunday.

The quarterback, acknowledging he’s “not the tallest guy,” hinted at difficulties seeing Waddle on the field, who managed only one catch for 15 yards. “I think part of it has to do with their players being up front as well and being able to see our players,” he commented. “When that happens sometimes, you can’t just throw it blindly—you have to progress.” It seems that, in Tagovailoa’s view, this could explain Waddle’s lack of targets.

Apparently, this reasoning feels rather unique for teams in today’s NFL.

Tagovailoa stands at 6 feet 1 inch and is under contract for $212 million to lead the Miami team. Unfortunately for him, during a disappointing outing that dropped the Dolphins to 1-6, he only targeted the 5-foot-10 Waddle four times.

Interestingly, this game marked Waddle’s lowest number of targets and receptions since Week 14 of the previous season against the Texans, where he had no catches due to a right knee injury. In this game against Cleveland, Tagovailoa completed just 12 passes for 100 yards, and it didn’t stop there—he also threw three interceptions.

His interceptions this season now lead the NFL, and if things don’t improve, he’s on track to surpass his previous high of 14 from 2023.

In the aftermath, head coach Mike McDaniel emphasized his confidence in Tagovailoa, describing their meetings as productive. “We both really want to be better at what we do,” McDaniel noted, expressing his unwavering trust in the quarterback to elevate the team’s performance moving forward.