Bulk helped keep Tua Tagovailoa healthy in '23, so slimming down carries risk | Habib

When it comes to Tua Tagovailoa’s weight, the last person to ask is Tua Tagovailoa.

He doesn’t know what it is.

He doesn’t know whether he has slimmed down.

Your eyes tell you he has.

He tells you he doesn’t know.

Well, of course he does. He knows if there is a concerted effort to slim down for the 2024 season. He surely knows whether he has slimmed down, and by how much, and whether he intends to slim down even more this summer.

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Tagovailoa huddled with Dolphins reporters last week at his annual Luau with Tua event to benefit kids. Most of the conversation surrounded his nonprofit Tua Foundation, dedicated to youth and health care — something we can all agree deserves our respect. But there were a few instances when football topics came up, including his ongoing contract talks. Somewhere in the mix, a reporter remarked that Tagovailoa looked trim and asked if the observation was on the money.

“I don’t know,” Tagovailoa said. “You tell me.”

He was being coy. He seemed relieved when the next question was about his guitar-playing skills, which are more than he gives himself credit for.

Added bulk kept Tua Tagovailoa on field for all 17 games in 2023

But if you care about the Dolphins and care about Tagovailoa’s health, this subject (the weight, not the guitar) isn’t something to be brushed aside. Just think back to last summer, when talk surrounded Tagovailoa’s added bulk equaled added durability. How his muscle and jiujitsu would help put injuries behind him.

Well, Tagovailoa finished 2023 with 17 games played, plus the wild-card game in Kansas City, without a hint that he might miss any of them. It’s a point that cannot be overstated, especially during a dreadful year for franchise quarterbacks going down across the league.

The worst hit Tagovailoa took was from ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who accused Tagovailoa of not working out. When Tagovailoa fired back with a counterpunch, Clark apologized and everyone moved on.

Likewise, everyone moved on from the idea that Tagovailoa’s arm strength couldn’t cut it. This possibly is due to the number of times Tyreek Hill was frolicking behind secondaries and Tagovailoa was feeding him touchdowns. So whatever pounds Tagovailoa added weren’t the result of Tagovailoa having a personal luau every night at home.

“Strength work has been really big throughout this offseason for me with getting my legs under me, kind of building my upper body, building around my neck, my core,” Tagovailoa said last summer. “All of that has been taken into consideration. And I’ve been doing a lot more to try to help myself sustain the season.”

Coach Mike McDaniel even said Tagovailoa’s work ethic was among the five best on the team.

"Every metric of strength that is measured he's shattered his previous highs and in some instances, he's almost twice as strong with things,” McDaniel said. “And that's a daily commitment that he hasn't wavered from."

Focusing on mobility has merit, but it's a definite change in philosophy

Before we go any deeper, let’s acknowledge one point: The best judges for Tagovailoa’s playing weight are the Dolphins, his trainers and Tagovailoa himself — and not necessarily in that order. Whatever decisions that have been reached on his target weight must be the result of careful thought. Plus, the calendar still says April. The season doesn’t start tomorrow and players’ weights can fluctuate in just one practice.

Tagovailoa and the Dolphins continue talks on a longterm extension designed to tie both parties’ futures together. Both sides will have extreme interest in keeping Tagovailoa healthy, perhaps via added muscle, perhaps via a more elusive Tagovailoa sidestepping the rush. Opinions can change, but it does take some explaining to say you were onboard with the 2023 plan and support the 2024 plan.

This week, general manager Chris Grier was asked how involved the Dolphins were in formulating Tagovailoa’s offseason strategy. Grier credited Tagovailoa and by extension, his team, which includes his quarterback coach (ex-Dolphin John Beck) and trainer (Nick Hicks).

“No, you’ve got to give him all the credit,” Grier said. “He is just like last offseason when he attacked to stay healthy and doing the jiujitsu or judo, whichever one, but he’s just — watching him work and how he wants to be great. He took all this stuff on his own and told us what he was going to do, so you’ve got to give him all the credit on that.”

Good chance Grier was being gracious saying “all” the credit goes to Tagovailoa. Dishing out credit, especially on work ethic, is standard practice in the NFL. But “all” would indicate the Dolphins had no say in the matter, which is not standard practice in this league.

Tagovailoa had a fine season in 2023. It was a Pro Bowl season. It was his best season, which is a statement both he and the Dolphins hope is no longer true next year at this time.

The hope is that Tagovailoa and his team have targeted the sweet spot enabling him to take a hit, avoid a hit and hit on the long ball. Don’t forget: In 2023, he did that well. Whatever number of pounds heavier he may have been.

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bulk protected Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa in 2023, so slimming down has risk