Tua Tagovailoa's offseason training may have some unintended benefits

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spent his offseason focussing on training techniques that could help him avoid injuries during the 2023 season.

It remains to be seen how well that will translate to football where fluke injuries can happen at any moment, but his training techniques might have made him a more complete quarterback in the eyes of his head coach Mike McDaniel. 

McDaniel said on Thursday that Tagovailoa seems to have "more pitches in his arsenal."

From ESPN:

"He really took his training on his body serious this offseason for a multitude of reasons, and I've seen various things where he has a little more short-area explosiveness, where you're able to manipulate yourself in the pocket at a more explosive rate," McDaniel said Thursday before practice. 

 "I don't know this to be fact, but it appears by my layman's eye that he has more pitches in his arsenal; he can layer stuff and drive it just with even more command. ... He's already pretty adept at [that] considering his accuracy. I think it just overall helps him feel prepared and execute a lot of things. And the residuals are apparent and various."

Tagovailoa missed significant time during the 2022 season, including the Dolphins' playoff loss in Buffalo, due to concussion and neck issues.

When he was on the field he looked like a rising star and was having a breakthrough season that saw him throw for 25 touchdowns and average a league-best 8.9 yards per pass attempt. Along with wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle the Dolphins offense became one of the most dynamic in the entire league. In the four full regular season games he missed, they averaged just 16.5 points per game. He also missed significant parts of two other games where the Dolphins lineup badly struggled without him.

The Dolphins already picked up Tagovailoa's fifth-year option this offseason, so they clearly believe he is their long-term starter. They just need him to stay healthy.

He spent his offseason practicing jiu-jitsu as part of a training regimen that he thinks can help limit injuries and keep him on the field.