After playoff run, Tua Tagovailoa says Dolphins can do something 'really special' in 2023

MIAMI ― Tua Tagovailoa is feeling stronger physically, and much lighter spiritually.

And that could bode well for the Miami Dolphins, who begin training camp next Wednesday, hoping to return to the postseason despite a tougher AFC East division in Tagovailoa’s fourth NFL season.

Tagovailoa hopes to play the entire season, win a playoff game and contend for a Super Bowl in 2023.

“I think we have a chance to do something really, really special,” Tagovailoa told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, after teaming up with Gatorade’s Equity in Sports program and non-profit charity Good Sports to gift $65,000 in sports equipment to Miami Edison High School.

“Last year was special — let’s not take away from that. But I think this year we can do something much more special than we did last year if we all get our minds in the right place.”

How has Tua Tagovailoa evolved before Year 4?

Tagovailoa helped the Dolphins (9-8) reach the postseason for just the third time in 21 years last season. The Dolphins lost to the Bills during the wild-card round without Tagovailoa, whose season effectively ended on Christmas Day, following his second reported concussion and third hit to the back of the head.

Although Tagovailoa revealed earlier this year he briefly contemplated retirement, he reiterated how his wife, Annah, and son, Ace, impacted his decision to continue playing and have changed his life.

“I think it’s essentially growing up. You get to a point where nothing else matters,” Tagovailoa said.

“For me, having my kid, like throughout that entire season last year, nothing else mattered to me whether I played good or played bad. Whether I threw six touchdowns and brought the team back, or if I threw six interceptions and we lost the game, I knew I was going to come back home to my son and he was going to want me to embrace him. And I think perspective of everything has sort of changed how I go about doing things in a way.”

Tagovailoa added how his wife helped him “break some barriers” personally, like finding the joys in something as simple as having a vacation amid all the pressure he endures professionally.

“There’s a lot of things open to us when you hop right out if your comfort zone, and for me, she’s definitely helped me do that,” Tagovailoa said.

What was Tua's life like before his wife and son?

Tagovailoa, 25, chalks his new mindset to maturing.

Look at all he’s endured.

Tagovailoa’s life changed overnight after his game-winning touchdown pass helped Alabama win the national championship game in January 2018. It changed again when he broke his hip later in the same year.

And again, when the Dolphins drafted him fifth overall ahead of Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL draft. And during his first two NFL seasons under former coach Brian Flores.

Before his wife and son, Tagovailoa couldn’t escape his thoughts after a long day’s work.

“I’m going home to a big house — that’s it. And I go home to that house with my thoughts, and that’s it. And I bask in my thoughts. If my family isn’t there, I just think. That’s basically it. That’s what I am. I’m a thinker. I think. I try to be critical — before things happen, too,” Tagovailoa said of his life before marriage.

“I think all in all the older I’ve gotten, it’s been really good and helped in my maturity. And a lot of people have helped along the way.”

What to expect from Tua, Dolphins in 2023

Tagovailoa hopes to take his game to the next level in his second year as a father and husband, and his second season with Mike McDaniel as his enthusiastic and supportive head coach.

One aspect in Tagovailoa’s favor: He doesn’t have to worry about is learning another offense for the first time in his college or NFL career – a godsend after six offensive coordinators in five seasons.

“I think the coolest thing about it is we’re coming back. This is my first time coming back in a year where the offense hasn’t changed. It’s been the same,” Tagovailoa said.

“There might be minor changes, but it’s not a drastic change where I have to re-learn an offense, re-learn what they want, what they expect of me. And it really helps with the rhythm of everything because the receivers know most of what we’ve got installed. And there’s a comfort level to that.”

Tagovailoa led the NFL with a 105.5 passer rating, passing yards per attempt (8.9) and completion (13.7) in McDaniel’s scheme.

Behind star receiver Tyreek Hill and new cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Vic Fangio’s entrance as defensive coordinator and Tagovailoa’s new headspace, the Dolphins could make some noise this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tua Tagovailoa: Dolphins can 'do something really, really special'