Is Tua Tagovailoa playing today? Update on QB for Dolphins vs Jaguars

Modified Aug 26, 2023 13:23 GMT

Las Vegas Raiders v Miami Dolphins — Is Tua Tagovailoa playing today vs. Jaguars?

Tua Tagovailoa is a clear favorite to start for the Dolphins as the 2023 regular season nears. Miami is set to face the Jaguars in their final preseason game. The question is: will fans get to see Tagovailoa out there on the field?

According to Tom D'Angelo of The Palm Beach Post, head coach Mike McDaniel will play quarterback in the matchup. McDaniel noted it will be "more than a series, less than a half" of action for the 25-year-old.

It has been less hectic for Tagovailoa this preseason, starting just one game.

The former University of Alabama star took some criticism from former NFL player and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. Clark spoke about the Miami Dolphins star's physique on an episode of NFL Live:

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“Let me tell you what he wasn’t doing, He wasn’t in the gym, I’ll bet you that. He might have spent a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks happy. He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx in Atlanta right now on the bottom.”

Clark later apologized for his comments, but that didn't stop McDaniel from defending Tua Tagovailoa. The head coach spoke to the media about his quarterback's commitment to his nutrition this offseason:

“He’s taken his nutrition to another level. He’s taken his commitment to what he’s trying to do and really thought outside the box and really, really worked at it, so I couldn’t be happier with the work that he’s put in and what I’ve factually viewed from my own eyes."

Tagovailoa has dealt with a lot as he enters his fourth season in the league. The Dolphins' top pick in the 2020 draft was taken off the field via a stretcher in Miami's Week Four game against the Cincinnati Bengals last season.

He threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 starts last season. Tagovailoa led the NFL with a 105.5 quarterback rating.

If he stays healthy, the Dolphins could win the AFC East for the first time since the 2008 season.

He didn't start in the team's Wild Card game versus the Buffalo Bills in January. Skyler Thompson started in Tagovailoa's place as Miami came up short, losing 34 - 31.