QB Tua Tagovailoa not among Miami Dolphins' five captains
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins announced their team captains for the 2021 season Wednesday.
Offensive tackle Jesse Davis and receiver Mack Hollins are the offensive captains.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not.
The defensive captains, also selected by players, are safety Jason McCourty and linebacker Elandon Roberts.
Clayton Fejedelm is the special teams captain.
McCourty, at 34 is the oldest player on the team, and Davis, 29, is one of the oldest.
Considering the Dolphins’ depth at receiver, Hollins entered training camp having to battle for a roster spot, yet has ascended to captaincy even though he's not listed as a starter on the depth chart. On the outside looking in, he may appear to be a surprise choice, but not so to coach Brian Flores.
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“I think it’s probably under the radar from your vantage point, but in our locker room — that’s just something that no one else would know,” Flores said of Hollins’ leadership skills. “He brings energy on a daily basis. He works hard. It’s important to him. He plays in a variety of position. He plays in the kicking game. I think he does a lot of good things for our team and his teammates elected him captain and I think they did that for a reason.”
The Dolphins had pointed out the increased leadership role Tagovailoa took on as he enters his first full season as the unquestioned quarterback of the team.
“I think he’s taken a step as far as leadership and working with his teammates to get things right, whether it’s the center and his cadence, receivers and routes, ball handling with the backs,” Flores said in late August. “I think he’s asking more questions to us as a coaching staff situationally. ‘Hey, would you take a time out here? Should we get it out of bounds here? How much yardage do we need on a two-minute (drill) to get a field goal?’ I think he has made some very good strides. There is still a lot of room for improvement and hopefully we continue to make improvements.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins; Tua Tagovailoa not among 5 team captains
