Salty Tua is officially the best Tua.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was asked on Wednesday about criticism from ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who apparently called Tua out for his time in the gym and his nutritional habits. Tua, reserved and polite most of the time, had a response for Clark that eventually was neither.
“He probably knows more about me than I know about myself,”. Tua said when asked about the remarks. “I don’t know. Ryan’s been out of the league for a long time. I don’t know. It’s a little weird when other people are talking about other people, when they’re not that person.”
Of course, that’s what makes the sports media world go ‘round. We all talk about people without being that person. And that includes criticism directed by those who talk about the game toward some of those who play it.
Tua has faced plenty of criticism in recent years. It hasn’t helped that the Dolphins seemed to be hellbent on supplanting him, starting with an obsession to trade for Deshaun Watson early in the 2021 season and continuing with a crackpot scheme to land Tom Brady and Sean Payton after the 2021 season. Still, it’s clear that Tua has a limit.
“I come from a Samoan family, like, respect is everything,” he said. “But, you know, it does get to a point where, ‘Hey, a little easy on that buddy.’ I think we’re pretty tough-minded people, but if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy. Just saying.”
It’s refreshing to see a player willing to push back. The best way to do it, however, is to prove the critic wrong.
Most of the criticism of Tua relates to his inability to stay healthy. This year, he can change the narrative.
He needs to. If he does, he’ll likely secure the long-term QB1 job in Miami, and the contract that goes with it. If he doesn’t, 2024 could be his last year in Miami.
