There’s nothing more crucial to the Miami Dolphins‘ success in 2025 than Tua Tagovailoa staying healthy. When the quarterback missed six games last season, the Dolphins only managed to win two of them and averaged just 13.3 points per game in his absence.
So the last thing Dolphins coaches (and fans) wanted to see Saturday night in a preseason game with the Jacksonville Jaguars was Tagovailoa getting hit. But after he was sacked twice in the first quarter, the quarterback himself said it was anything but concerning.
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“It felt good to get hit again,” Tagovailoa told reporters after the game. “Maybe that’s not what people want to hear, but as we’re getting ready and getting started to get back into the normal routine of what a season would feel like, it feels good to get out there, get sacked a little bit. Sure, was that the result we wanted? No, but it feels weird that I’m going to say it, but in my head, it’s like it feels all right to have gotten touched.”
While Tagovailoa’s history of concussions and other injuries have left many concerned about his future, the Dolphins quarterback hasn’t been as distressed about it.
“This is what I love to do. This is what makes me happy, and I’m gonna do it. That’s it,” Tagovailoa told reporters last year.
Still, he also understands his unavailability in 2024 proved costly. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier publicly called out Tagovailoa for the “unacceptable” risks he’s taken on the field, and the quarterback has told reporters this offseason that he wants to avoid putting himself in harm’s way.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: ‘It felt good to get hit again’